The 100: A New Dawn
by Serenity3078
Summary: The 100 make a treaty with the twelve clans. Mostly AU, OC until "The Calm". There are no Mountain Men in my story, but Mount Weather is. This is a completely different take on what happens to the 100! I'm a noob, so please be nice with the reviews! #Bellarke #Linctavia #Ravick #Kabby #Marper #AU #romance #love #grounderMaya #someangst #charactergrowth #pleasedonthateme
1. Chapter 1

***This is mostly AU, my first fanfic! I do not own anything of the 100. This is my personal journey of what could have been. This takes place after the 100 land on the ground, with OC up to the last episode of season 1, but without the Mountain Men. I never did enjoy them. It will start off where Monty gets separated from the group in "The Calm". Please review (be nice, I'm a noob) and let me know what you think! Full on Bellarke!

Chapter 1 – Mount Weather

Monty couldn't believe his eyes, there before him stood Mount Weather. No Reapers around, or at least, none that he could see. If they were here hiding, they should have taken a shot at him already, goodness knows he was out in the open enough. He stood silently for a few seconds, debating the wisdom of moving forward. He decided it was well worth the risk, they needed the supplies that Mount Weather had in order to survive the winter. He took steadying breath, then stepped forward to a loud _crunch. _He looked down at the ruined walkie. He quickly picked it up, dusted it off and tried the call button.

"Bellamy? Is anyone there?" He clicked off, but there was no response. He fiddled with it a bit and tried a few more times before giving up. Knowing Raven could probably fix it, or at least use it for scrap, he stuffed it in his pocket. He glanced behind him, a look of indecision on his face. He knew everyone would worry, but he needed to take this unexpected opportunity to see if he could get to Mount Weather. There was no time to head back to tell the others. If he could find a safe way in, they might have a fighting chance. He walked quickly and quietly as possible down the path keeping a vigilant eye out for Reapers and Grounders alike. As he got closer, his eyes darted around quickly, looking for a door. The massive structure was covered in greenery with little bits of the walls peeking through. Looking down, he noticed a walkway of sorts, broken and covered with grass. He decided to follow it, hoping against hope that it would lead him to an entrance. After walking for a few minutes he found himself stopped in front of a set of massive double doors.

_Yes, now if I can just get them open_. He pulled and pushed on the doors, but they wouldn't budge. They seemed to be rusted shut. He looked around to see if he could find something to pry open the doors with, and he managed to find a sturdy branch. After breaking off all the little branches, he ran back to the door and stuck it through one of the handles, using the other side as leverage, he pushed against the wood, hoping it was strong enough to loosen the rust. He heard some creaking noises, not knowing if they were from the branch or the door, but it still wouldn't budge. He stopped to take a small break, sitting down on a fallen tree nearby, he took out a ration pack and chewed while thinking.

_What would Clarke and Bellamy do? They always seemed to find a way. If he thought like Bellamy, brute strength would be the way to go. Unfortunately, he was on his own, and while he wasn't weak, he wasn't made of muscles either. Now Clarke, she was the thinker, much more his style._ He took a minute to calculate how much force might be needed to open the door. As it stood, he would probably need at least one more person to help pull it open, unless…he looked around until he saw it. A branch thicker than the last, and a flat stone that was about an inch thick and four inches wide. He pulled the other branch out of the door handle and placed the stone against the door, then stuck the branch through and wedged it in to keep the stone in place. With the added angle, he pressed hard against the branch until the door gave way.

Dropping the wood and stone, he grabbed the door and pulled as hard as he could. There had been so much overgrowth and runoff, that the ground was slightly higher than the bottom of the door. He was able to make a space large enough for him to slip through. He blindly searched with his hands for a light switch, stepping further into Mt. Weather when suddenly the hallway was flooded with a dim light. He was standing in a short entry way with a hallway running perpendicular to where he stood. Monty panicked, and pressed himself against the wall and slowly peered around the corner. Glancing down both hallways he saw nothing to indicate that anyone was there. He looked up at the source of the lights and noticed they had motion detectors attached. He took a deep breath and relaxed his tense muscles. _Now, which way should I go?_

_***Thank you for reading! I know this chapter was short, but I promise the rest are longer! The next chapter swings over to those at camp, mostly Bellamy and Clarke! Don't worry, we will get back to Monty soon;) _


	2. Chapter 2

***Once again, I own nothing of the 100! I wish I had a pair of Jasper's goggles though. They are super cool. Sorry about the formatting issue in Chapter 1, I'm new and have no idea of what I am doing. It is fixed now, and hopefully I won't make that mistake again. Please be nice with the reviews!

~Chapter 2~

Bellamy couldn't believe it. Three of his people were missing. Two of them they knew for sure were taking by Grounders. They had set Myles in the dropship as soon as they got back to camp and Octavia shooed him off so she could get Myles patched up as best she could with their healer missing. He was pacing in his tent trying to come up with a plan while everyone else was securing camp and upgrading their traps with the explosives that Raven had cooked up for them. He ran his fingers through his hair while he discarded the idea of a rescue operation. It wasn't safe to stray too far from camp, just look what happened today! Impatient with himself for not being able to keep his people safe, he angrily threw open the flaps of his tent and stalked out in search of something to occupy his hands so his mind could think better. He was a doer, not a thinker. That's what he had Clarke for, and what did he do? He let her go off thinking she would be safe with Spacewalker. He snorted to himself as he picked up a pole out of the weaponry supply pile to make into a spear. Like Finn could keep the Princess safe. That was a warrior's job, no scratch that, a knight's job. Or the job for a Rebel King. He shook his head with disgust. He never should have let her out of his sight. It was amazing how he could go from wanting to do whatever he could to get that damn bracelet off her wrist, to doing whatever he could to keep her safe. They would never had made it this far without her. He needed to come up with a way to keep his people at camp safe, while being able to go after Clarke.

"Open the gates! It's Clarke!" Jasper shouted from his lookout position. He saw Bellamy drop what he was doing and come running as soon as he heard. Jasper dropped down from the wall and ran to the gate as well. Clarke had earned his friendship early on, and his respect and loyalty shortly after that. He had briefly considered gathering up some people to go in search of her, but quickly discarded the idea when he realized he had no idea where to begin. Clarke and Bellamy were the leaders of the one hundred for a reason, they were natural born leaders, and they thought fast on their feet. As soon as the gate opened enough to allow her to step in, Jasper threw his arms around her and gave her a tight hug.

"Clarke! I am so glad to see you!" He pulled back and returned her smile.

"Thanks Jasper, I'm glad to see you too." She squeezed his arm before glancing around. "Where is Bellamy?"

"Right here Princess. Where's Finn?" Bellamy said as he stepped forward. He only cared for Raven's sake, as far as he was concerned, Finn could go float himself. He had been nothing but a pain in Bellamy's side since they landed on the ground.

"It's a long story, maybe we could talk in private?" Clarke replied, indicating that something big had happened.

"Sure, let's go to my tent and you can fill me in on the details." Bellamy gestured for her to lead the way. "Jasper, get back to your post and keep me posted on anything that happens. You are in charge out here." He waited for Jasper's nod before following Clarke.

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It took everything Clarke had not to wrap her arms around Bellamy when she walked into camp. It had been a long day, and she was drained both physically and emotionally. How was she supposed to explain all this to Raven? She stepped into Bellamy's tent and moved aside as he stepped in behind her.

"Why don't you sit down Princess, you look like shit." He gestured to the bed as he went over to his makeshift table to pour her a cup of water. He grabbed a ration pack and tossed it to her before sitting down next to her.

"Thanks, that's what every girl wants to hear, that they look like shit." She caught the ration pack and gave him a nod of thanks.

"Seriously though, you look tired and you are covered in blood. I think saying you look like shit applies in this situation" He passed her the cup of water and she took a sip "So what happened Princess?"

Clarke chewed on a berry from her pack as she contemplated the best way to start. "I guess it's best to keep it simple. Finn and I were kidnapped by Anya's guards and taken back to their village. She wanted me to try to save her second, Tris. The poor girl was only about twelve years old, thirteen at the most! She was on the bridge when the explosion hit, it collapsed her lung and they were filling up with fluid. She was drowning and there was nothing I could do to save her. When she died, they took Finn away. That was her conditions, I had to save Tris, or Finn would die. Bellamy, I tried, but they have no medical equipment down here, and even if they did, I'm not a doctor! Because of my incompetency, Finn is probably dead." She dropped her head down into her hands and pressed the butt of her palms into her eyes to keep from crying.

Bellamy got off the bed and squatted down in front of her, he took her wrists into one of his hands and pulled them away from her face as he used his other hand to lift her chin up so she could look at him. "Princess, there was nothing you could have done, you did the best you could with what you had to work with. You may not be a certified doctor, but you are the best one that I've ever seen. I trust you with our people's lives, but more importantly, I trust you with mine. This is _not_ your fault."

Clarke sighed as she pressed her forehead against Bellamy's. "I was left with a guard and he told me that Anya would take no joy in killing Finn. I asked him about these marks I saw on both Tris and Lincoln, he said each scar represented a kill. Tris had five, Bellamy, five kills. She was just a girl! I asked to see his and when he opened his shirt and looked down, I kicked him hard and sliced him across the neck with a knife. I covered his mouth and kept him from calling out until the light faded from his eyes. I ran out of there as fast as I could and headed back here. I wanted to take a look around for Finn, but there were too many guards, and I couldn't risk it. I failed him Bel, I failed him and Raven is going to hate me."

"You didn't fail him Princess, he would have wanted to you run. Even if it knew it meant he would die. Trust me on this." Bellamy had taken both of her hands into his and was rubbing small circles on her palms with his thumbs. She was so strong, his brave Princess. Bellamy leaned up and kissed her on the forehead. "Come on Princess, let's go check in on Myles, Octavia has been taking care of him, and while she's adapt at basic healing, I'd feel better if you took a look. Then you can get some sleep."

Clarke took his proffered hand and let him help her up. She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you Bel, for everything." She squeezed his hand once and slipped out of the tent.


	3. Chapter 3

***I hope you like what you've read so far! I will try to load chapters as quickly as I write them. Reviews feed my inner muse so comment away! Just try to be gentle, my ego bruises easily. ;) As always, I own nothing of the 100 other than in my imagination.

Chapter 3

Bellamy stepped out of the tent and stared after Clarke as she walked to the dropship. No one other than Octavia had ever called him "Bel" and he was pretty sure if it had been anyone other than Clarke, he probably would have told them off. He was surprised at how his breath had caught and his head swam when she called him that. She had never called him anything other than Bellamy before. He liked it. He shook his head to clear his thoughts and followed her through camp.

As he stepped into the dropship, he saw Clarke looking over Myles injuries. Octavia was nowhere in sight, she probably snuck out to see Lincoln again. He made a mental note to have a talk with her later about it. He took a quick look around, their makeshift hospital was looking more organized by the day, thanks to Clarke and her attention to detail. An assortment of plant life was hanging upside down from strings taken from a broken seat belt, while handmade tools were lined up neatly along a small shelf. She may not think she is a 'real doctor', but he doubted even her mother could have done better with what they had on hand. He stepped closer to the table and took a look at Myles, he still looked pretty banged up, but at least Octavia had cleaned him up.

"Octavia did a good job, he needs stitches, but she wrapped the wound tightly in the meanwhile. How long has he been unconscious?" She looked up to see Bellamy smirking at her. "What?"

"You sure sound like a doctor to me Princess." He looked down at Myles, and then looked back up at Clarke "He's been out since Octavia put the poultice on his leg. He was either so tired from all of it, or he's not as tough as he wants everyone to believe he is. I'm betting on the latter."

"Yeah, I can see that, but it's probably a combination of the two. It kills me, he just wanted to be a part of the 'gang'. He told us all sorts of stories about him from the Ark, and was trying so hard to connect. I don't think he has many friends here on the ground."

Bellamy watched as she walked over to her supplies and carefully pulled another string from the frayed seatbelt that she'd been using for supplies. She grabbed a wooden needle made from a twig that he had whittled for her and threaded it and knotted off the end. She walked back over to Myles and set her needle down on the table before carefully unwrapping his leg. He was amazed at how methodical she was, she took a small cup of alcohol and gently poured it over the wound. She dabbed the excess and picked up her needle.

"If he wakes up, I'll need you to hold him down. Can you do that for me?" She raised her eyebrows in query. He hadn't left her side since she got back to camp, not that she minded, but if he was going to follow her around, he could at least be helpful. As it was, she was having a hard time concentrating with him so close. She couldn't place her finger on when it happened, but something had been slowly changing the dynamics between them. He was an arrogant ass half the time, but he was a good leader and he genuinely cared about the rest of the one hundred. He had come a long way since the days of 'whatever the hell we want'. She had come to trust him and to depend on him.

"Sure Princess, whatever you need." Bellamy brushed a small piece of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear before dropping his hand like he touched fire. What on earth made him do that? He frowned and walked around to the other side of the table, positioning himself to assist if needed. His thoughts scattered as he looked up into her blue eyes. She was holding her breath and her eyes were wide. Suddenly all he wanted to do was walk back around the table, pull her into his arms, and kiss her. What was happening to him? He broke his gaze away and looked back down at Myles. Lucky, unconscious Myles.

Clarke struggled to regain her thoughts. Bellamy had never touched her like that. There was something different when he touched her, it was like everything else faded away and all she could see was him. She didn't feel this instant breathlessness with Finn, this was a whole new feeling. She just stared. She wanted to kiss him, she wanted to kiss him and so much more. His voice had gotten all low and throaty when he said that, and she imagined what it would sound like in bed. He looked down at Myles, and she was able to shake herself out of it. She took a deep breath and began stitching her patient up.

Bellamy watched her work, there was a gracefulness in her movements. He could imagine the lives she could save if they had proper equipment. She was gentle but efficient in her ministrations. Soon she was tying off the end and cutting the thread with a small knife. She went over to her makeshift workbench and took some of her plants and made a quick poultice, placed it on the wound, and rewrapped it with a fresh cloth. He watched as she carefully cleaned up the table and all of her supplies. Once she was finished he walked over to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.

"You did good here. It's time for you to get some rest, it's the middle of the night. Come on Princess, let's go." He gently steered her towards the opening of the dropship, as they were stepping out, she tripped and he wrapped his arm around her waist to steady her. She was obviously over tired. "When was the last time you slept Princess?"

"I'm fine, I just tripped. Thank you for catching me." She straightened up and placed her hand over his.

She looked up into his face and he could see she was more tired than she had let on. "Always trying to prove how tough you are, aren't you Princess?" He shook his head "You don't have to put on a brave face for me, I know you're tougher than anyone else here at camp. You need to make sure to take better care of yourself, how do you expect to take care of all of us, if you aren't even taking care of yourself?"

Before she could respond, Bellamy scooped her up and started walking. She let out a surprised squeak and wrapped her arms around his neck to keep from falling. She gave him her best 'mom' look and opened her mouth to scold him no doubt. Before she could, he stopped and captured her mouth with his. She tasted of sunshine, berries, and something inherently Clarke. She tensed for only a moment, and then seemed to melt into him. He tightened his hold on her and gently swiped his tongue against her lips, she moaned into his mouth and dug her fingers into his hair just above his nape. They devoured each other for what seemed like forever, but in reality it was probably only a few moments. He slowly gentled the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. "Stop fighting me Princess, just let me take care of you for once." He kissed her again, just a quick peck and then continued on to his tent.


	4. Chapter 4

***I own nothing of the 100, although it would be cool if I did! Thank you to my readers! Htrehrth, there is a strong possibility! ;) I have a lot of ideas floating through my head, and this could go in many different directions. I guess I'll let the characters tell me the story as I go along! Reviews make me happy, so make sure to leave some! *^.^*

~Chapter 4~

Clarke relaxed her head against Bellamy's chest and let her thoughts drift as he continued on towards the tents. How did things move so fast? Where did this warm and contented feeling come from? She was so confused. Bellamy had quickly wormed his way into her heart without her even knowing. She wouldn't call it love, it was much too soon for that, but she sure felt a strong affection towards him. More so than with Finn. Finn was a great guy, and they had some fun together, but that was mostly due to the fact that they were a bunch of teenagers who suddenly found themselves with no adults watching their every move, and the thrill of survival. It was a mixture of pent-up emotions, and typical teenage hormones. This was different. Bellamy challenged her, made her a better person, pushed her out of her comfort zones and was making her into more than just the 'Ark Princess'. She was becoming _his_ Princess. It was a disconcerting thought, but what was more terrifying was that she found she didn't mind that at all.

Bellamy couldn't believe he kissed her, really kissed her, and she kissed him back! Who would have thought, the Rebel King and the Ark Princess? He certainly never would have guessed. He wondered if she could hear his heart pounding in his chest under her cheek. The feel of her in his arms, and the taste of her on his lips was doing all sorts of things to his body. Breathing felt funny, like he had butterflies fluttering around in his chest, and his hands itched to touch her, to strip away all her protective layers until they were both skin on skin. Soul to soul. Not as the leaders of the one hundred, but Bellamy and Clarke. No stations between them, just the two of them. He opened his tent flap and gently let her legs slide down his body. He made sure she was able to stand on her own and turned around to secure the tent flaps so the cool night air wouldn't get in. When he turned back around, she was still standing there waiting for him.

"I hope you know that I'm not one of those girls. The girls that flit in and out of your tent like you don't matter other than to scratch an itch. If we do this, it's not just for fun, it's not a one night thing. It's because it means something. So Bel, does this mean something?" Clarke was surprisingly comfortable laying it all out like that. She wanted him, his kiss had stirred something primal within her, but she wasn't willing to risk her heart on something she could have with any of the other guys in camp. She wasn't so puffed up to think she was irresistible, but she had had enough offers to know that there were other interested parties.

He ran his hands through his hair and grabbed her hand. He dragged her over to his bed and sat down, he grabbed her waist and pulled her down until she was straddling him and he could look into her eyes. How she could ever think he would compare her to the other girls that he slept with was beyond him. They all had a mutual agreement, albeit and unspoken agreement, but it was still there. They just needed release, and he wasn't the only one those girls had shared a tent with. He brushed her hair out of her face and gently cradled her cheeks in his hands.

"Princess, how could you think this wouldn't mean something to me? I would never have kissed you if it didn't. Honestly, I didn't even bring you in here to try to seduce you, I just wanted to ensure that you get some rest. I don't fully trust that if I took you to your own tent, that you would take it easy. Your sense of responsibility to these kids is stronger than your sense of self preservation. With that said, I want nothing more than to see where this leads us. I want you, but I want you to feel confident that I do because I have genuine feelings for you, and not just because 'I want to scratch an itch'." He gently kissed her, then pulled back the fur blankets and slowly lowered Clarke to the bed.

Clarke held her breath as Bellamy removed her shoes and dropped them next to his bed. He slowly stripped her of her pants and shirt, being careful not to touch any of her skin. He turned away and stripped off his clothes as well then climbed into bed with her. He rested on his back and pulled her into him. With her head in the crook of his arm, she placed her hand over his heart. He kissed her on top of the head and whispered "Sweet dreams, Princess." She fell asleep listening to the sound of him breathing.

Bellamy listened as her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. He had never just slept with another woman before. It was always just about the sex. It was a nice feeling. No expectations, no embarrassing conversations afterwards, just contentment. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, unknotting it as he went along, his thoughts completely consumed by her. The first day on the ground, he had thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever saw, but their instantaneous battle of wills squelched any growing attraction he had. It wasn't until Atom that he saw past the guarded walls to see the real Clarke. The merciful, gentle, kind, caring, and strong person she was under all that bristle. It took a lot of strength to recognize that the greatest mercy she could give him was a quick death. He certainly wasn't able to do it, even though Atom begged him to. He fell asleep listening to her breathe, his lips buried in her hair.

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He woke up to an ear piercing scream, at first he thought it was Clarke, but she was resting peacefully in his arms. He carefully pulled his arm out from underneath her, she sighed and snuggled down further into the pillow, seeking his warmth even in sleep. He smiled and stretched his muscles. He had just finished pulling on his clothes with Octavia burst into his tent.

"Bel, you have to come quick" She trailed off, her eyes wide as saucers when she saw who was in his bed. She ran up to him and furiously whispered in his face "Bel, how could you? She was vulnerable! She had a horrific day and you took advantage of her. I expected better out of you."

Bellamy grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her out of the tent, looking back long enough to make sure Clarke was still sound asleep. When he stepped out of the tent Octavia was standing in front of him, arms crossed and a defensive stance, with a frown on her face. He frustratingly ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "O, it's not like that. She was really tired after checking on Myles and she almost passed out from exhaustion. I knew if she slept in her own tent she would toss and turn all night and probably wake up before the sun to check on everyone in camp. We didn't do anything, just slept."

"Just slept? Bel, I have seen the way you two look at one another lately, are you sure there is nothing more?" She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. She sounded just like her mother.

He got real close to her and replied in a low voice "O, you can't say anything, I don't want Clarke to be hurt by rumors. I don't exactly have the most pristine reputation around camp when it comes to women. We can talk more about this later, now, _what is going on_?"

Octavia's face fell "Raven and I were the first ones awake, we went to check on the gate when we saw it. Bel, they brought back Finn, he's alive, but barely. They gagged him and tied him up to a tree just outside of camp. The watch never saw or heard a thing. They brought him in and Raven is a wreck, she won't leave his side. We need Clarke."

Bellamy scrubbed his face with his hand, he hated to wake her up, but if Finn had a chance of making it, they needed Clarke. "Okay, O, go get me some food and water for Clarke and I'll get her up and ready. Meet us in the dropship." He waited for her nod and then he turned back to the tent, as he opened the flap he heard Octavia behind him. She placed a hand on his shoulder and he paused for a moment.

"Bel, I like Clarke, don't screw this up okay?" She felt him tense under her hand, and then he let his shoulder relax. When he looked back at her, she saw a determined look on his face. He couldn't hide the raw feelings that were flashing through his eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't. I like her too."


	5. Chapter 5

***Thank you to everyone who has stayed with this! Things are going to get interesting in the next couple chapters. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Monty, he will be back soon! Please leave reviews, I want to know what you think! *^.^*

~Chapter 5~

Bellamy rubbed the back of his neck absentmindedly as he walked over to the bed. He sat down carefully and took a second to admire the beauty of his Princess sleeping. He knew how tired she was and hated to wake her up, but if he didn't get her up and moving, there was a good chance that Raven would tear the camp apart looking for her. He brushed the hair out of her face and gently ran his hand up and down her arm. "Hey sleepyhead, it's time to wake up."

Clarke heard a low and gravelly voice, pulling her back to the real world. She sleepily rubbed her eyes and then stretched out her tired body. She heard a chuckle and opened her eyes to see Bellamy staring down at her with a wide grin. He had obviously woken up a while ago, she wondered how long she had been sleeping. Looking around, it appeared to still be fairly early in the morning. "Good morning Bel, is everything okay?"

"Morning, Princess. Unfortunately, not. You are needed in the drop ship. O is getting you some breakfast and she'll meet us there." Bellamy stood up and held out a hand, and helped her to a standing position. He turned around and pretended to search through his pack for something so she could have some privacy as she gathered her clothes and got dressed. He turned back around to find her lacing her boots, he waited patiently until she was done, then he pulled her up and into his arms for a good morning kiss.

Clarke leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck as he deepened the kiss. Before she knew it, her body felt all tingly and her legs wobbled a bit. He steadied her by tightening his arms around her waist. When he pulled back, he gave her one of his famous smirks. She loved it when he did that. How she came to be here in this moment, she wasn't sure, but she couldn't complain. Bellamy in the morning was a nice way to start the day.

"We'd better get going, I just wanted to have you to myself for a moment before the chaos started." He reluctantly stepped back and held the flap open for her. He placed his hand on the small of her back and headed towards the dropship. He dreaded what was to come, knowing she would have a rough day, but he was determined to be there for her in any way he could. "Princess, I want you to be prepared before we go in. Raven and O went to check the gate this morning and Finn was just outside, tied to a tree. I haven't seen him myself, but according to O, he's hanging by a thread. Raven refuses to leave his side, so if she gets in the way, let me know and I will physically remove her myself."

"Finn? But how? They said they were going to kill him, why bring him back alive?" Clarke didn't wait for, or expect an answer as she hurried towards the dropship. Her brain was running a mile a minute, and none of the pieces added up. She practically ran up the ramp, and she stopped short as the parachute flaps closed behind her and Bellamy. Finn was there on the table, a sobbing Raven standing next to him. He looked extremely pale, and ill. As if years had been drained off his life since they set out on their hunting expedition. O stepped over to her and handed her a ration pack with a cup of water. She blocked her view of Finn and Raven, speaking in a low tone.

"I'm sorry we had to wake you Clarke, but you are the only one that can help. I cleaned him up as best I could, but he is going to need a lot more than some bandages and a poultice or two. He's been unconscious since we found him, and I don't know how long before that. I'm not going to lie, I don't know if he is going to make it, he has some pretty deep cuts, and even _I_ can tell he's lost a lot of blood. I set out some cloths, a bowl of water, your needle and thread, and a few other items next to him. I'm going to head out and see if Lincoln has anything that might help, I'll be back as quick as I can."

Clarke reached out and gently squeezed Octavia's arm and gave her a weak smile. "Thank you, I appreciate your help, and please tell Lincoln I will be grateful for any assistance he can provide as well." Octavia smiled back and ran out of the dropship. Clarke knew Bellamy hated it when she left camp, but he recently discovered that if he kept his mouth shut, Octavia would tell him when she was leaving, and always made sure to take weapons. He didn't like it, but at least she wasn't sneaking out at all hours to be with him. Clarke quickly took a drink of water to clear out some of the morning taste in her mouth and then set her ration pack down on her workbench. She put her doctor face on and headed over to her patient. It was a lot easier to detach from her emotions while working, it helped her to keep a clear head, and goodness knows she was going to need it.

"Raven? I know you want to be here for Finn, but I need you to step back and give me some room so I can work. Why don't you grab the chair from my workbench, and you can sit up near his head, okay?" Clarke grabbed her ration pack as Raven sat down, she handed it to her "Here, eat this while you wait, you won't do him any good if you waste away to nothing."

Bellamy watched as Clarke made sure Raven was taken care of before she did a visual sweep of Finn's injuries. She walked over to her workbench, gathered a few herbs, and the pestle and mortar that Harper made for her. He made sure there was enough room on the table for the added items. He wasn't sure if there was much he could do to help, but damned if he was going to leave her to deal with this alone.


	6. Chapter 6

***Hey there! I'm so glad that people are reading this! I'm not actually a writer, and have no clue of what I'm doing. I can handle criticism, so please leave me honest reviews! I only have 2 and I would love some more! I've been listening to a Spotify playlist for the 100 while writing, there are so many songs that really give me ideas for scenes. I woke up this morning all sad, because once again I still own nothing of the 100. Let's check in on the Ark for a brief moment shall we?

~Chapter 6~

"Sir, we need to find a way to get to the ground!"

Abby watched as Kane tried to talk sense into Thelonious. She knew he had only given up because of Wells. If he was still alive, Jaha would be doing everything in his power to get everyone down to the ground. After Diana's betrayal in taking the Exodus Ship, she understood the defeatist attitude, but at some point he had to realize that giving up was not the way to go. It was imperative that they try to live up to whatever the history books may one day say of them. If nothing else, they needed to give the rest of the people on the Ark some hope. She watched as Thelonious cut through all the arguments and left the room. She walked up to Kane and grabbed his attention by laying a hand on his arm.

"Marcus, he may be giving up, but that doesn't mean we have to. Let's make the rounds and see if anyone has any ideas. Maybe someone out there has thought of something we haven't." She waited for his acquiescence and followed him out of the council chamber.

Jaha sat down at his table with a special bottle meant for the ground. Too bad he would never reach it. He pressed play on a video he had watched too many times since he sent his son to die on Earth. He couldn't believe it had come to this. He had such high hopes for his people, imagining all sorts of happy scenarios once they landed safely on the surface. Instead, here he sat, waiting for death to come collect them all. At least some of the 100 continued to survive the harsh realities of life on Earth. He still had hope for future generations. He glanced at the screen and listened in amusement as a young Clarke and Wells giggled about something when they were supposed to be practicing for the Unity Day Pageant. As he heard himself explaining to the children about the system they had for staying in space, he had an epiphany, there might be a way to save them after all! They just needed to let the Ark fall into the Earth's atmosphere, and let gravity do the rest.

They all thought he was nuts. They all went along with it anyway. There really was no other viable option really, they could die doing nothing, or they could die trying to get to the ground. People scrambled to gather what they could carry, and rushed to the designated areas to get a spot before launching. They had a limited window of time, or they would miss their chance to land near the 100. As they counted down, everyone sat in anticipation, some crying, some praying, and some holding hands. When the countdown ended, and nothing happened, a sense of hopelessness pervaded amongst the people.

"Sinclair, what happened?" The Chancellor's voice came through on the comm.

"The remote detonator failed, it will have to be done manually." He replied, scared he would be ordered to do it himself.

Marcus looked at Sinclair, knowing that he needed to atone for his actions of late, he squeezed Abby's hand. Once he had her attention, he sat looking at her for a moment, memorizing every line on her face, the way her hair swept along her brow, the stubborn set of her jaw, the look of defiance in her eyes as she realized what he was about to do.

"Abby, it has to be done. Please, I need to know you understand. I need you to get to Clarke. To the 100. Help Jaha lead our people, but most of all, live. Please, for me." He squeezed her hand as she leaned in and wrapped her free arm around him. He hugged her briefly and a felt a tear fall as she kissed him on the cheek.

"May we meet again." She whispered brokenly.

"May we meet again." Kane stood and walked carefully minding where he stepped, with so many people crammed into the tight space, he had to be watchful that he didn't step on anyone. People reached up to clasp his hand as he walked past, a tribute of sorts. He had only taken a dozen steps or so when they all felt a jerk. Sinclair confirmed that they had launched. They heard Jaha's voice on the comm, wishing them "God speed" and knew he had stayed behind to manually separate the Ark Stations from the ring.

_Back on the ground: _

Clarke was exhausted, she had spent the last few hours bent over Finn's body, trying to keep him there among the living. She had stitched up so many wounds, that she had lost count. By the end of it all, she still wasn't sure if he was even going to make it. He hadn't stirred a bit during the whole process. To top it all off, she had Raven as a patient as well, because if she didn't remind her to eat or drink, she just didn't. She sat by Finn the whole time, running her fingers through his hair and reminiscing about their lives together, trying to coax him into consciousness. When Clarke was finished, she set up a bed next to Finn and got Raven settled in. She promised to send someone around with food for the day and then dinner once it was time. She stepped out of the dropship and into camp, based on the sun she was guessing it was a little before noon. She felt Bellamy's presence right behind her, he hadn't left her side since this morning. She knew he had plenty of responsibilities to see to, but every time she tried to tell him it was okay for him to leave, he gave her a pointed look and told her to shut up. Normally she would have bristled at his tone, but while she would never admit it, she really needed him today and was grateful he stuck around.

"Come on, Princess, let's go get you cleaned up. Grab a change of clothes and meet me by the gate." She opened her mouth to speak, but he interrupted her before she could "Clarke, you are covered in blood, you've had a rough few days, and to be frank, you are starting to smell. This is as much of a benefit for the camp as it is for you." He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, but we can't be gone long, I need to check on Finn, take inventory on supplies, and go gather anything I'm running low on."

"Not to mention taking care of the inevitable injuries." He rolled his eyes "I promise we won't be gone long, now go get your stuff." Bellamy gently pushed her in the direction of her tent, and then headed to his own. He quickly gathered up a change of clothes, a couple of furs, and headed out to find Octavia. He found her sorting rations with Jasper and Miller.

"O, I'm taking Clarke over to the river to get cleaned up. I need you and Miller to keep camp going while we are gone. Miller, you are in charge of camp, send a couple of gathering parties out once the hunters return. O, I need you to be in charge of taking inventory of our supplies. Once the hunters return, I want you to lead one of the gathering parties. Grab Lincoln and make sure you get as many plants with medicinal properties as possible. I don't want Clarke to have to worry about replenishing her stock with Finn needing as much as he does right now. I also need you to check in on Finn and Raven every now and then, and have Monty watch over them while you are out."

Octavia's face lit up like a lightbulb. He knew it was because he was not only letting her out of camp without a fight, but ordering her to go, and to take Lincoln with her. He was trying to show her that he trusted her, and that he was just trying to keep her safe. Clarke had brought it up a week ago, and their conversation stuck with him and forced him to reevaluate the situation. It was right after O had slipped out of camp, he was getting ready to go after her to bring her back when Clarke stepped out in front of him.

_"Bellamy, you have to let her go." She placed a hand on his chest to stop him as he tried to step around her "I get it, I may not have ever grown up with a sibling, but close enough. I had Wells. He was like the big brother I never had. He is the reason everyone called me the Ark Princess. He protected me from everything, a little too much. Hell, he did the same thing you did. He made sure to find a way to get on that ship once he knew I was being sent down to Earth. To protect me, just like you did with Octavia" She took a deep breath "You have to give her some space to find her feet here on the ground. You have to trust her enough to let her find her own way. I'm not saying you can't still protect her, and watch over her, but I'm saying that you need to quit acting like a prison guard. The more you try to smother her, the more she is going to try to break free." She grabbed his hand in hers, tugging him back towards the fire, and the dinner he still hadn't eaten_ "_Just think about it okay?"_

Octavia pulled him aside "I can do that big brother, but don't take Clarke to the river, I know a better spot. You can't tell anyone I told you this, but there is a series of hot springs up on the bluff about a quarter of a mile away from here." She drew a map in the sand "This is how to get there. A nice hot bath is _exactly_ what Clarke needs. She's been running herself ragged, and you're not the only one who noticed." She gave him a minute to memorize the path, then used her foot to erase the drawing.

"Thanks, O, but why haven't I heard of this place before now? I think it was a bit selfish of you to keep this all to yourself." He gave her one of his signature smirks and ruffled her hair.

"Probably because I didn't want anyone else to use them, and I certainly didn't want my big brother to show up randomly while I was bathing. From here on out, we have to tell each other before we go there, I don't need to see you and whatever girl you have up there." She replied as she gave him a sisterly shove with a laugh.

"Yeah, we will defiantly need to come up with a schedule. Now, get back to work, we'll be back in a little while."


	7. Chapter 7

***Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me so far! There are some big things coming up soon, and I hope you all like the way this goes. Please keep the reviews coming! Ideas, requests, and criticism are all greatly appreciated! I still own nothing of the 100, much to my ever growing dismay.

~Chapter 7~

"Bel, the river is that way." Clarke grabbed Bellamy's hand to stop him and pointed in the direction of the river.

"But we aren't going to the river, so we need to continue on this way." Bellamy replied, tugging her along the path. He tried not to notice how nice her hand felt in his, or the fact that she didn't attempt to pull away. He wondered how long it would be before she would finally give in and ask him where they were going. After about ten minutes of silence, he heard her take a deep breath.

"I hope I don't regret asking, but if we aren't going to the river to wash up, where are we going?"

"It's a surprise, Princess, don't you trust me?" He rubbed he thumb along hers absentmindedly. Bellamy looked ahead as they passed a large boulder on their left. Based off of the map Octavia had drawn for him, the hot springs should be at the top of this hill. He looked over to Clarke who was eyeing him suspiciously. He chuckled and pulled her along, increasing his speed slightly. He couldn't wait to see her face.

Clarke knew they must be getting close to their secret destination because Bellamy was practically dragging her behind him. Trusting Bellamy to watch out for Grounders, she lengthened her stride, being careful to watch out for traps and large roots. He stopped so suddenly that she almost ran into his back. She stepped around him and her jaw dropped as she took in the view in front of her. Multiple pools of varying sizes sat before her, steam rising from the smooth surfaces. A backdrop of mountains and trees stood before her, taking her breath away with their beauty. She dropped her pack on the ground and took a step forward, never letting go of Bellamy's hand as she did so.

Bellamy watched Clarke take in her surroundings, a look of awe written all over her face. He had to admit that O had stumbled upon a beautiful spot, but he was struck more by the innocent joy springing forth from the woman next to him. He dropped his pack down next to hers, and stepped behind her. Letting go of her hands and placing his on her waist, he rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering so as not to ruin the moment "Beautiful, isn't it, Princess? Wanna take a bath with me?"

Clarke shivered as his quiet words moved through her, his voice low and throaty, reverberating in her ear. She closed her eyes, sighed, and leaned her head back, resting on his chest, not even recognizing that she had done so. They stood like that for a little while, peaceful, quiet, taking in the sounds around them. No one to fight, no one to protect, no one to run from. Just the two of them in the wild, no responsibilities. It was a nice feeling. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him, their faces only a breaths width apart. "That sounds heavenly." She whispered breathlessly.

They both dug into their packs, setting out their change of clothing so they would be warmed by the sun. Bellamy was the first to finish and strip down out of his clothes. Clarke felt her face redden and turned away taking extra time to lay out everything so he wouldn't notice. It was ridiculous really, they had all bathed in their underwear since they landed, going in large groups for protection. It wasn't like she hadn't seen him like this before, but now that it was just the two of them, it was more intimate. She heard a light splash and turned around to see him entering the pool closest to where she stood. He ducked under the water and came up using his fingers to brush his hair back and out of his face. His eyes met hers.

"The water feels phenomenal, Princess, hurry up." Clarke was watching him, her face turning a lovely shade of pink. He couldn't help his hard on at seeing her blush, she was gorgeous just standing there. "If it makes you feel any better, I'll close my eyes, although it's nothing I haven't seen before." Bellamy didn't want to close his eyes, he wanted to watch her undress without anyone around to see his reaction to it. He'd always avoid looking at her while she stripped down before getting in the water, so instead he watched all the other guys at camp and stared them down if they looked too hard at Clarke. While it was an unspoken rule of camp, she was _his_ Princess, and no one else was allowed to ogle her but him. He watched as she tucked her hair behind her ear and bit on her lower lip. He doubted she even knew what she was doing, let alone what it was doing to him.

A part of her wanted him to close his eyes because just the thought of him watching her while she undressed was doing all sorts of funny things to her insides, but on the other hand, she didn't want him to think she couldn't handle it. She always kept a brave face on, especially in front of Bellamy. She hated the thought of him thinking she was weak. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and bit her lower lip in nervousness. She saw his eyes darken with something she thought might be desire. The sight emboldened her to unbutton her jeans and to slowly work them down her legs, watching as his eyes followed her hands. She stepped out of her pants and dropped them in a pile near the water's edge for washing, then she grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it over her head, shaking her hair out of her face as she dropped the shirt on top of her pants.

Bellamy watched as she slowly dipped a toe into the hot spring, she closed her eyes and moaned, the sound traveling straight to his groin. He did his damndest not to reach for her as she slipped into the pool. He wiped his hand over his face in a feeble attempt to control his body as she dipped her head under the water and came back up, running both hands through her hair, water droplets falling behind her in a cascade of gold. She smiled at him and then reached for the crude lump of soap that Monty had made for bathing. Before she could start washing her hair, he let go of the edge of the pool, slowly grabbing the soap out of her hands.

"Allow me." He said as he twirled his index finger, indicating that she should turn around. He lathered up his hands, laid the soap back on the edge, and began to wash her hair.

It felt heavenly, she can't remember the last time someone washed her hair for her, it was probably when she was too little to do it herself. It was obvious to her that he had done this before because his fingers worked magic in her hair, massaging her scalp and removing all the dirt and grime as he went along. She gripped the edge of the pool and tilted her head back so he would have better access. She heard a low moan and realized the sound had come from her, she felt Bellamy pause and heard his sharp intake of breath. His hands tightened in her hair before he moved his hands down to her shoulders where they lingered for a moment.

"Time to rinse Princess"

She turned around to face him, gave him a small smile, held her breath then sunk under the surface long enough to run her fingers through her hair a few times. She came up to take a breath, then tilted her hair back in the water and used her fingers to gently move her hair around in the water to remove the rest of the soap. She stood up, grabbed the soap, and moved closer to Bellamy.

"Your turn."

"As you wish, Princess." Bellamy turned around, bending his knees until his shoulders were touching the water. He felt her fingers tentatively touch his hair, and slowly making their way through his thick waves. He closed his eyes and tried to 'think of England' as they used to say. He'd always wondered what it would be like to have her run her fingers through his hair and now that he knew how it felt, he realized that his fantasies had fallen way short of the real thing. Once her fingers stilled, he turned around and ducked his head under, making sure all the soap had washed away before popping up. He shook his head, water flying everywhere. He heard Clarke's giggle, and reached out for her. He pulled her tightly to his chest, savoring the little squeak as her eyes widened.

Her gaze lowered to his mouth and her breathing hitched. Her hands, hovering between them, eventually landed delicately on his chest. She looked up, his eyes darkening to a deep shade of brown, almost black with desire. She licked her lips, which made his eyes dart down to her mouth. He squeezed her tight, fitting her body to his.

"If you don't want this, you should probably say so now." He was lowering his mouth slowly to hers when he heard a twig snap. Pushing Clarke behind him, his eyes scanned the edge of the forest looking for a threat. Octavia stepped out into the sunlight, her hand covering her eyes.

"I don't want to see anything! Please tell me you're not doing anything that a poor innocent like me shouldn't be seeing." Her smile belaying any real fear.

Bellamy relaxed. Clarke placed her hands on his shoulders and looked around him.

"Octavia, I promise that this is nothing you haven't seen before. We were just taking a bath." Clarke ran her hands down Bellamy's back and surprised even herself as she ran them over his sculpted backside before stepping around him. She gave him a small smile and started towards the edge of the pool to get out. Before she had taken more than one step, Bellamy had grabbed her around the waist, pulled her to him and whispered hotly in her ear.

"Once she's gone, we are going to finish this Princess." Bellamy released Clarke, she gave him a coy look over her shoulder, then turned around and he thought he heard her say "We'll see" under her breath. His hands itched to reach out for her again, but Octavia was walking over to them and he needed to find out what she wanted first so he could send her on her way.

"While I'm fascinated by the two of you being 'a thing', we have some serious business to take care of. I need both of you to get dressed and moving. Finns awake and he needs to speak with both of you immediately. He wouldn't tell me what was going on, he just said it was urgent." Octavia stood with her arms crossed at the edge of the pool. She watched with interest as Bellamy placed his hand on Clarke's shoulder to stop her from getting out of the water. She raised an eyebrow at him inquiringly, but he just shook his head slightly in response. He obviously didn't want to explain his actions to her, which made her question even more what was going on between them.

"Clarke and I still need to wash our clothes real quick, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes, can you transfer all Clarke's belongings into my pack? Then we can put the clean clothes in hers to carry back. We had planned on still being here for a few hours so they could dry, but it looks like that won't happen now."

"Sure, just made it quick okay? Finn said there was a time limit on this. Whatever it is, you only have until nightfall to fix it." Octavia didn't miss the subtle look her brother sent her before she turned around to organize the packs. She moved everything from Clarke's pack to Bel's as quickly as she could. By time she was finished, the two of them had only just started washing their clothes. She had to think on the fly.

"I left Jasper and Monty in charge of camp, hopefully they haven't blown it all up by now. Now that my message was delivered, I'm going to head back. Don't take too long." That last part was pointed more at her brother. She gave them a wave then ran back towards camp.

Bellamy was tired of being interrupted by Finn. If things went his way, this would be the last time.


	8. Chapter 8

*****Still don't own anything of the 100. Please keep reading and reviewing! Things are going to move pretty fast, so please try to bear with me! Drop your favorite character from the 100 along with the reason they are your favorite. Mine is Clarke, I love how she proves to everyone that she has what it takes to keep her people safe. Octavia is a very close second, she is a total badass. Both of these fantastic ladies proved to everyone that they were much more than the people from Ark ever thought they were. Thank you for reading!**

~Chapter 8~

They finished washing their clothes quickly. Bellamy helped Clarke ring out all the excess water, and they laid the clothes out next to the pool to start drying while they finished up. Both of them silent, knowing that whatever was headed their way must be big or Octavia would never have left camp to come find them. Once they were finished washing themselves, Bellamy got Clarke's attention by pulling her into him.

"Clarke, I meant what I said in the tent, this all means something to me, more than it's ever meant before. Whatever is back there waiting for us? We can handle it, together." He kissed her on the forehead.

"Together." She closed her eyes and memorized the feel of his lips on her.

Bellamy got out of the water, reached down to grab her hands, and pulled her out. They both dried off as quickly as possible, got dressed, and gathered up their things. Bellamy reached for her hand as they headed back towards camp, her hand slipping into his naturally, as if they had always done it. They walked back to camp in silence, both comfortable with just being in each other's company. No sooner had they stepped through the gates, when they were ambushed by Jasper and Monty.

"Bellamy, Clarke! Your back! Listen, we have some huge news to share!" Monty exclaimed.

Bellamy grabbed Monty by the front of his shirt. "Where the hell have you been? Everyone thought you were caught by grounders." He released him with a shove. Monty's face lit up and a huge grin spread across his face. "You think this is funny?" Bellamy snarled.

"No, but you don't understand." He glanced around and gave Jasper a nod. Both boys stepped close to Bellamy and Clarke. "I got into Mount Weather. Everything we need is there, beds, blankets, clothing, shoes, medicine, equipment, you name it. It's there." Monty's eyes and smile widened as he spoke. He could barely contain his excitement.

"Did you tell anyone?" Clarke's voice lowered, matched the volume of Monty's.

"Just Jasper. We decided it would be better to talk to the two of you first. We told everyone I was hiding from Reapers, which was why I was gone, and it was partially true. I would have been back sooner, but when I tried to leave I saw two Reapers in the distance and decided to wait until they moved along. I made sure to cover my trail on the way back as well." Monty's chest puffed up with pride. It wasn't every day that he got to play a larger role in their little band of misfits.

"That was a good call. We need to speak with Finn, right away. You two go grab food for all of us, if anyone asks what you are doing, tell them I told you to bring us lunch while Clarke tends to Finn's injuries. We'll talk more once you're there. And act normal." Bellamy was quickly forming a plan in his head, but knew he needed to add Finn's intel, then consult with Clarke before they made any rash decisions. He watched as Jasper grabbed Monty by the arm and dragged him over to the ration piles. He placed his hand on the small of Clarke's back and steered her towards the drop ship.

"Bel, if we can find a way into Mount Weather we can stock up on everything we need here at camp, but why do you think the Grounders haven't ransacked the place?"

"I don't know, but we'll make a plan once we talk to Finn."

Just before they got to the drop ship, Raven walked out and yelled "There you are! Get in here!" just before turning around and walking back in the drop ship. They both picked up the pace and threw aside the flap to see Raven trying to keep Finn from getting up. Clarke rushed over to check his injuries while scolding him about undoing all her hard work in saving his ass. Bellamy chuckled, that was his Princess, always making sure her patients were following doctor's orders.

"Okay Finn, we're here, what's going on?" Bellamy crossed his arms as Finn shot him a thankful glance.

"We don't have much time" Finn shook his head "The Grounder Commander came to camp just as they were getting ready to kill me. She stopped them because she needed me to deliver a message to you. She wants to negotiate a treaty between our people. She said she has information about the history of the Grounders and Sky People that will make you understand the importance of an alliance. We have until sundown today to meet her. I'm supposed to take you back to Anya's village where the Commander is waiting." Finn attempted to sit up, and once again Raven pushed him back down. He shot her a look, and she just shook her head.

Clarke was the first to speak. "If she stopped them from killing you, then what happened to you?"

"They told me 'Blood must have Blood'. Each person in the village that grieved Tres and the guardsman were allowed to take a turn in cutting me. They said that I would live and we would be forgiven for those deaths."

"But those deaths aren't on your hands! Tres was hit in the blast on the bridge, and I killed the guard to escape. You shouldn't have had to suffer for those." A few tears escaped and ran down Clarke's face. Bellamy reached out and grabbed her hand. She wiped her eyes and squeezed his hand in thanks. She noticed Finn stiffen up when he saw their silent communication. She didn't care, Finn had no hold on her affections anymore.

"I had some responsibility in the bombing if you remember, and while I didn't kill the guard, they were going to split me open anyway, at least this way, the slate has been wiped clean, and you are safe."

Raven didn't like the way Finn looked at Clarke. She knew she told him it was over between them once she found out about the two of them, but did he have to look at Clarke like she was the sun, moon, and all the stars besides? She didn't blame Clarke anymore, after some thought she realized that it wasn't Clarke's fault. After all, she thought she was building a relationship with a single man. As soon as she knew about Raven, she called it off with Finn.

"We brought lunch!" Jasper said as he held the rations out in front of him, Monty following with a plate piled high with some cooked meat.

"Come on in, we have some decisions to make." Bellamy grabbed a blanket from a pile in the corner, and laid it on the floor near Finn's table. He sent Jasper out to go get Octavia and once she arrived, they sat down and discussed Mount Weather and the Grounders. They decided to start by meeting with the Grounders since that seemed to be the more urgent situation. Once they heard them out, they could figure out what to do with Mount Weather.

They polished off the food and made a plan for the rest of the afternoon, discussing who should go, and who should stay to protect camp. Finn, Clarke, and Bellamy all had to go according to Finn. Octavia insisted on coming along as well, much to Bellamy's dismay, but he relented once she mentioned bringing Lincoln as well. He knew that if it all went South, Lincoln would keep his sister safe. Monty and Jasper were going to be in charge of keeping camp running as usual. Raven's job was to talk to the Ark and ask them for all the information they had on Mount Weather without telling them they were able to get in. Keeping the Ark in the dark was a unanimous decision. They knew if the council got wind of any of this, they would try to put a stop to it, even from the sky. As far as the Ark would know, Bellamy and Clarke were leading an expedition to the river for more medical supplies and so some of the 100 could wash clothes and take a bath.

"Okay, everyone has their jobs. Bellamy, make sure you talk to Miller and Monroe about securing the camp while we are gone. Everyone meet at the gate in 20 minutes with full packs." Clarke nodded to everyone before standing. They all filed out of the drop ship and headed off to their various assignments. Bellamy grabbed her hand and walked her over to where their tents were situated. They had long ago moved their tents next to each other because sometimes they were up late into the night going over inventory, planning blue prints for camp, or setting up job rotations for the week. It just made their lives easier once they decided to co-lead the group of delinquents on the ground.

Bellamy stopped in front of her tent then repeated "Twenty minutes Princess. Don't forget to pack your extra tent just in case we get stuck out in the woods after dark. I'll see you at the gate." He gave her a quick kiss, and walked off to find Miller and Monroe. He smiled to himself when he thought of the shocked look on her face when he kissed her in full view of the entire camp. They hadn't had a chance to talk about it, but he was taking the opportunity to stake his claim on her before they left camp.


	9. Chapter 9

***Reviews are life! I'm sorry this took so long to update, we took the kiddos on vacation for spring break. What did you all do for Spring Break? Thank you for sticking with my crazy story, I appreciate it. I still don't own the 100, just the random story I'm creating here.

~Chapter 9~

Bellamy spent the majority of the trek listening to Lincoln explain Grounder traditions and their hierarchy to Clarke. She seemed to absorb the information like a sponge. It was not the first time that he felt like she was the better leader. She knew how to talk to people, and she knew how to negotiate. Sure, he had made some pretty good speeches in his short time here on Earth, but his Princess was a natural. She always looked out for everyone's best interests. Most times even before her own. Octavia grabbed Clarke's attention with a question about herb and soon the two of them were talking about medicine on the Ark verses medicine on the ground. He saw Lincoln stop and tilt his head to the side, indicating that he wanted to hold back for a moment.

Lincoln kept his eyes on the girls while he spoke to Bellamy in hushed tones "I really don't think we have anything to worry about, if the Commander is there and wants to talk peace, I believe her. She is a different kind of Commander than those that came before her. To be safe though, there is a hidden tunnel running out of the west side of camp under a bush behind a large boulder. It leads out near the river, you should be able to find your way back to camp from there. No one else knows about it."

"If no one knows about it, then how do you know of it?"

"I was banished from my clan years ago, I have spent the time since then exploring the land. There are many trails, tunnels, and places that are unknown to my people. I watch the different clans, paying attention to their routes, routines, and living conditions. I try to avoid being seen because if my clan sees me, they might try to kill me."

Bellamy thought back to every encounter he has had with Lincoln since they met. He was more alert to his surroundings than most, but he just assumed it was a natural instinct rather than a learned condition due to circumstance. It's possible that it was a combination of the two. Either way, Lincoln was clan-less and continued to help them despite the open hostility he has had to endure. It was obvious that Lincoln loved Octavia, which in itself was both irritating and endearing to Bellamy. He looked at Lincoln and waited until he had his full attention. "Then from now on, you're a member of our clan. You're Skaikru."

Lincoln glanced back to Octavia then back at Bellamy. He offered his arm and Bellamy grasped his in the traditional Grounder agreement. "Skaikru. Thank you Bellamy. I know we haven't always seen eye to eye, so I really appreciate this." Bellamy used his other arm to clasp his shoulder.

"I don't always agree with Clarke either, but that doesn't mean she's not family." He smirked before continuing on their journey.

They both laughed and walked quickly to catch up to Clarke, Octavia, and Finn. Bellamy noticed the way Finn was walking close to Clarke and watching her gesture as she told a story from the Ark. He knew it was irrational, but he wanted to step in between them, shove Finn out of the way, and make sure he knew without a doubt that she was with him. Finn had his chance, and he fucked it up. Clarke must have sensed him because she turned around, smiled at Bellamy, and stepped closer to Octavia to make room for him. Gleefully he stepped into the space.

"So Princess, I was thinking that when this was all over, you, me, Lincoln, and Octavia could talk about some new buildings and sleeping arrangements for camp." He gave her a wink as Octavia's head whipped around to stare at him.

"Uhh, Bel? Not that I'm complaining, but why would Lincoln care about our sleeping arrangements?" Octavia's nose crinkled with confusion.

"I just thought he might like a say in where he sleeps now that he's a member of the 100." Bellamy replied looking at his fingernails as if he was bored with the conversation.

Before Bellamy could blink, Octavia had jumped on him and wrapped her arms around his neck, squeezing tighter than she had in a long time. He had to step back with one foot to keep from being knocked over. He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. He looked over at Clarke, she was looking back at him with a soft look in her eyes and a slight smile on her lips. She gave him a nod before turning to Lincoln and welcoming him into their ragtag band of misfits.

"Okay, O, if you don't let up, I'll pass out from a lack of oxygen and Clarke with have to carry me the rest of the way. Is that really what you want?" He let go of his sister, only to have her turn back and punch him on the arm.

"Now, children" Clarke crossed her arms and tapped her foot. "I think that's enough horseplay for the day. We need to get moving, the sun is getting lower in the sky, and I would prefer to avoid a war."

Bellamy looked at Octavia, and they both turned to Clarke and replied in unison "Yes, mom." They all laughed and continued down the trail.

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As they approached Anya's camp, a grounder woman stepped out in front of them on the path. She had long dark colored hair, and black war paint around her eyes. She held up a hand in a calming manner.

"Hello, Clarke of the Sky People, thank you for meeting with me. My name is Lexa. I have a tent set up just outside of Anya's village for this occasion. Please, join me, I wish to speak with you about some very important matters. I assure you that we mean you no harm."

"Good evening Commander, I am looking forward to our talks of peace." Clarke stepped out and reached out a hand towards Lexa, she gripped it in return. They both took a moment to size each other up.

"Come, follow me and we will talk." Lexa turned and walked away.

She led them to a tent, much larger than they were expecting, with two guards standing out front. A woman stood near the opening, quite obviously a warrior. She had an angry look on her face when she spotted Lincoln. "Heda, I must protest this meeting. These people walk along with a traitor, someone banished from our tribe, they cannot be trusted."

"Chil yo daun I appreciate your concern Indra, but this meeting _will_ take place. The Commanders have deemed it so." She waited until Indra stepped back then approached the tent's entrance. "I will speak with Clarke and Bellamy, the rest of you may sit by the fire and enjoy the offerings laid out for you." She walked into the tent followed by the Sky People's leaders. She had heard much, but she had already decided to see for herself if they will be strong enough to be what she needed them to be.

Bellamy nodded to Lincoln before following Clarke into the tent. Lincoln got the message loud and clear, he would protect his sister if anything went wrong. He glanced around, there was a throne made of branches in the center, with a small table off to the right with piles of fur for seating, cups and food filled the surface. Lexa sat down and gestured to the table.

"Please, feel free to eat, I have much to tell you and much we must decide. Let me begin by asking a question, which one of you is the leader of Skaikru?" Lexa tilted her head in query "I have heard that you share that duty, but I find that hard to believe."

"Yes, we are both the leaders of Skaikru, what you heard is true. Why is this so hard to believe?"

Bellamy stood beside Clarke, they had decided earlier that she would be the one doing the talking, unless he needed to step in. She was by far the more diplomatic of the two of them, he knew if there was any chance for real peace, she would be the one to obtain it for them. He watched as Lexa mulled over how to explain why having two leaders for one group was such a foreign concept.

"Since the first Commander, each village has had one leader, and one Commander over all the clans. There are twelve clans in our coalition. It is easier to have one person in charge to make decisions rather than having to consult someone else. Is it custom for your people to have more than one leader?"

"When we were on the Ark in space, we had a Council with multiple members, and we had a Chancellor who was in charge of the council. There was a balance of power, and rules we all had to live by. I guess in a way it's similar to what you have." Clarke paused to gather her thoughts. "When we landed on the ground, no one was in charge, just a bunch of kids, trying to survive. Bellamy decided he would run things, and a few difficulties, we both ended up taking charge of our camp." She looked at Bellamy for confirmation.

"That about sums it up, Princess." He grabbed a handful of nuts and tasted one. Once he knew they weren't poisonous, he passed a few to Clarke. She took them with a smile of thanks and popped one in her mouth.

Lexa watched the exchange silently, after observing how they interacted with one another she knew she could proceed as planned. "I need to tell you a story, a story about the ground." She waved them to the piles of pillows next to the table, when they sat down, she continued. "After the wars, most of the Earth had been lost, very few survivors were left. When a ship fell from the sky, people were scared, Becca Pramheda was in that ship, she became the first Commander. With her help, the people were able to begin rebuilding what was lost. Since then, the Commander's job had been to lead, and help her people. When you fell from the sky, the previous Commanders spoke to me, they told me that we needed each other. You have technology long forgotten by the majority of my people, and we have survival skills. We can help each other, and our people will prosper."

"How do the previous Commanders know about our technology?" Clarke picked up a cup, but before she could drink from it, Bellamy grabbed it out of her hand and took a sip. She frowned at him, but after a moment he gave it back. She realized he was checking everything for poison. She was glad he had thought of it, because she certainly hadn't, but she was going to have a talk with him later about not putting himself in danger.

"Becca Pramheda was from the sky like you, she knew all about the technology of the time and passed it on through each Commander. If you are willing, I would like to discuss a treaty between our people."

"We would like that as well. What do you have in mind?"

"As I said before, I have a coalition with the twelve clans. My people would never hear of your joining our coalition, but they would accept a treaty with you. I have heard of your skills as a healer, you would help train the healers from each tribe, and in turn, they will teach you all about healing here on the ground. We can help teach your people how to survive on Earth, our warriors will train with yours, and we will help you build a village."

"This sounds too good to be true, what's the catch?" Bellamy knew there was more to the story, and he wanted all the information before they made any agreements.

"You are right Bellamy, there is a small catch. I am Heda of my people, and so Clarke will become Heda of yours. Our people do not recognize male leaders. They would not accept this treaty unless it was done this way. Each Heda has a guardsman, someone whose sole purpose is to protect them. Unbeknownst to the people however, is that the guardsman is also an advisor, and must be chosen carefully. You have already proven to me that that is how you already are, so in the eyes of my people, nothing will change. Clarke will become Heda, and you will become her guardsman, you will protect her and advise her. Will you and your people be able to accept this?"

"Yes." Bellamy answered quickly and definitively. Clarke looked at him, silently asking if this was really what he wanted. He nodded, he knew that Lexa was right, Clarke was the true leader, and he was her protector. He hadn't realized just how much until she had mentioned it, but it didn't make it any less true.

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"I wonder what's taking so long." Octavia grabbed another piece of meat off her stick "Is this normal? Shouldn't we have heard something by now?"

"Everything is quiet, if there was any issue, the guards wouldn't look so relaxed."

"This is relaxed? Their eyes are scanning the woods, and they seem to be on alert."

Octavia and Lincoln turned to Finn, he hadn't spoken a word since Bellamy and Clarke went to talk with Lexa. Octavia wasn't even sure why he was here, he hadn't done much, Clarke knew the way to the village, they didn't need him. Finn claimed that he was told he needed to be here, but if that was the case, wouldn't Lexa have asked for him to be a part of the negotiations?

"Yes, if there was any issue, the guards wouldn't have time to scan for trouble, they would be solely focused on protecting our Heda."

Before Finn could respond, there was movement in the tent. They all turned to see what was going on. Bellamy stepped out first and scanned the area, much like the guards had been doing only moments before. He held the tent flap to the side to allow Clarke and Lexa out. Lexa leaned over and spoke to one of the guards, he nodded, then walked off. Lexa nodded to Clarke and then her and the remaining guard walked towards the village. Clarke and Bellamy wondered over to the fire pit.

Finn stood and grabbed Clarke's hand. "So what happened? Is everything okay? Did we make a treaty with the Grounders?"

Bellamy stepped forward and stared down Finn until he dropped Clarke's hand. It wasn't just because he was now guarding his Heda, but because he didn't like Finn touching her, not after what he did to both Clarke and Raven. He smiled inwardly when Finn dropped her hand and took a step back. It was nice to know that he could intimidate Finn so easily. Clarke laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder, he glanced over at her and stepped to the side and next to her.

"Yes, we came to an agreement. We will have peace with the Grounders, and tonight we will celebrate. The Grounders were already planning a celebration because a storm is on its way, since the wars, rain has always been celebrated because it helps the Earth regrow."

"They celebrate every time it rains? Isn't that a little crazy?" Finn looked around as if he was afraid of being overheard.

"No, not every time, but when there are large storms we celebrate because the rivers flow cleaner, the Earth becomes greener, and we are able to gather a larger harvest. Everything has a place and purpose, storms are no different." Lincoln shrugged "We celebrate anything that helps our people prosper."

"Well, now that we have an agreement, Lexa said that there will be a special ceremony to commemorate the occasion. They have already set up food and a large fire in the village. Lexa is going to tell the people here of our treaty, then messengers will be sent to the other Clans to spread the word."

"Then let's get going, I want to see what a Grounder party looks like!" Octavia grabbed Lincoln's hand and skipped behind Clarke and Bellamy.

Finn trailed behind, watching how close Bellamy walked next to Clarke. He didn't like it, not one bit.


	10. Chapter 10

***Thank you for the reviews! For those that have asked, yes, Clarke will get pregnant at some point, it's a ways off though! ;) I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please continue to leave reviews, I enjoy reading what you all think!

~Chapter 10~

Upon entering the village they were separated into two tents. Bellamy balked, but Lexa set him at ease by promising that she would personally guard Clarke while they changed. Bellamy reluctantly went with Lincoln and Finn, but he didn't enter his tent until he saw Clarke, Octavia and Lexa go into theirs. There was a man from the village inside their tent, and he showed them which clothes were theirs. Finn was given basic Grounder's clothes, brown pants and a matching shirt. Bellamy was given black pants, a black shirt, and some Grounder armor. They quickly changed and when they finished, the man whose name they learned was Mikell, helped Finn and Bellamy with their war paint. Finn received one thick line right under each eye, and two additional thin lines under his right eye. Bellamy's eyes were darkened and he had wings going out to the side with three thick lines swiped down his face from the right side of his brow to the left side of his jaw.

They were led out to the fire where a woman approached Bellamy and asked if he would be willing to allow her the honor of designing his new tattoo to symbolize his new position in his tribe. Lincoln placed a hand on his shoulder and quietly told him that she was very experienced and it was a well-respected Grounder tradition to get symbols of their places in their tribes. It's a proud part of their heritage. Bellamy had noticed the tattoos on many of the Grounders as they met, but hadn't ever considered one for himself. He accepted graciously and followed the woman to a spot set up near the fire for her to work.

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"Clarke, tell me about your relationship with Finn. He indicated that the two of you loved each other very much."

Lexa was currently braiding her hair while another woman worked on Octavia's. They had both been given dresses to wear, Octavia's was black with short sleeves and came to her knees. It was simple, but somehow made her look dark and intimidating and beautiful all at the same time. Clarke's was a strange color, a dark sandy tone that almost shimmered in the candlelight. It had no sleeves, just two ties over her shoulders, it flowed down to her knees in the front and down past her feet in the back. It trailed slightly behind her as she walked. She was bare foot, but green vines were wrapped around her second toe and crisscrossed up her ankle and calves on each leg, giving the illusion of shoes. She had no idea how her hair looked, but from the time it was taking, she assumed it was very intricate. They had also received war paint, Octavia's eyes were darkened and she had streaks running down her face. Clarke's eyes were also darkened, and she had wings going out to the side, black, like a crow's wings. At least that's how Octavia described it. Finn was a complication that she wished she didn't have, she considered the best way to answer Lexa.

"When we landed on the ground, Finn spent a lot of time with me, gathering, fighting, and eventually we spent the night together. Shortly afterwards, Raven, arrived in a pod, and I found out that she was his girlfriend from the Ark. I wouldn't say I loved him, but I did have feelings for him, and he betrayed my trust. That is something I could never forgive. If he would have told me about her, things might have been different."

Octavia snorted. "He went back to Raven quickly enough, but once she had found out about Clarke, she broke things off with him. He's spent all his time since trying to convince Clarke that they belong together."

"Then I feel better about what I'm going to tell you. There is no other person closer to me than my guard, as it should be, but you and Bellamy share a special bond, one not seen very often. We have a saying, 'won keryon, tu bodies', it means 'one soul, two bodies'. This is not something that everyone has, or even finds, and it is truly special. It is held in high regard by our people, and when someone finds the other half of their soul, it is treasured and treated with great respect by all. It's as such when a child is born. Children are rare and when they arrive, they are precious to everyone in the village. This is why I chose Bellamy to be your guardsman, I know that he will protect you with everything he has."

Octavia snorted in response. "Pardon me Commander, but Bellamy and Clarke can barely stand each other half the time. I think you're confusing sexual tension and lust with love."

"Exactly. That is the difference between Finn and Bellamy. Finn fawned over Clarke, he was willing to fight for Clarke, kill for Clarke, and he was even willing to die for her. Bellamy pushes Clarke to be the best version of herself. He is also willing to fight and kill for Clarke, but even more telling, he is willing to live for her."

"I don't get it. How is that better?"

"Bellamy recognizes that if he dies, there is no one else he trusts to protect Clarke as he would. He would fight to live so he could keep her safe. That is the difference, and that is why they are 'won keryon, tu bodies'. Everything he does, he does with her safety and wellbeing in mind. Finn only cares for the idea of Clarke, for what she appears to be on the surface. Bellamy cares for _all_ of her, the good, the bad, and everything in between."

Octavia sat for a moment and absorbed everything Lexa had said. In a way it made sense. He was just as protective of Clarke as he was of her. She had always been the number one priority for Bellamy, until Clarke. He certainly was never this possessive or protective about any of the other girls in camp. She glanced over at Clarke who looked deep in thought. Could she feel the same way about him? She hoped so, her brother meant the world to her, he deserved to be with someone who would love him and put him first.

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Mikanna gave Bellamy two different tattoos, three different arrows on the inside of his forearm, to symbolize strength, courage, and wisdom. Then a large bird with outstretched wings on his chest. This was to symbolize his position as the protector of his Heda. He thanked her profusely for her hard work and gave her one of the knives he had fashioned at camp as a gift. Just as he was putting his shirt and armor back on, he saw Lexa step out of the tent and gesture for him. He jogged over and stepped into the tent. He saw Octavia first, she gave him a smile and a nod and walked out of the tent, off to find Lincoln he was sure. That left just him and Clarke. He found her sitting in the corner, she stood and started walking towards him. His breath caught, and his heart sped up. He had never seen Clarke in a dress before, she was stunning.

His eyes raked over her and the heat she saw there made her stomach flip flop. "Do I look okay? There are no mirrors, so I don't know what I look like."

Bellamy didn't answer, just twirled his finger to indicate that he wanted her to turn around so he could see all of her. Half her hair was done up in all sorts of intricate braids and the whole of it trailed down her back, her face paint made her blue eyes stand out, like a bright star against the night sky, and those vines climbing up her legs made him want to lay her down and trail kisses along their length. Once she was stopped in front of him again, he trailed his fingers along her jawline.

"You look beautiful Princess, just like you're supposed to. You are Selene, come to life, the Goddess of the moon. Pale, hauntingly beautiful, with eyes as tranquil as the sea." He leaned in slowly, tasting her lips, her arms came up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer. He wrapped his arms around her waist, splaying his hands across her back, and pulling her whole body flush against his. They stood that way for a while, tasting each other, their tongues dancing in a waltz as old as time. Reluctantly, they both pulled away, knowing that they had duties to attend to.

"I don't know if I can do this Bel." Clarke looked worriedly up into his eyes, he smiled.

"Of course you can Princess, nothing has changed, we just see our roles more clearly now. We are still Bellamy and Clarke, the Rebel King and the Princess. I know you can do this. I'll be right there with you, every step of the way."

Clarke grabbed his hand and gave it a squeeze before stepping out of the tent. "Wasn't Selene's consort a mortal that was put to sleep and kept forever youthful?"

Bellamy laughed "Yes, he was so beautiful, she asked Zeus to keep him young and handsome forever, and she loved how he looked in sleep, so Zeus placed him in a deep sleep. Why, are you planning to put me to sleep so you can admire my handsomeness?"

"Only if it will shut you up!" Clarke laughed as she headed towards the fire.

Bellamy followed closely behind, watching the sway of her dress as she walked. He could get used to this guardsman thing.

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Lexa made a pretty speech about the treaty and Clarke being the new Heda. She was to be referred to as Heda kom Skaikru, and Bellamy was introduced as her guardsman. The people seemed receptive if a bit leery of this new development. After the formalities were dispensed with, Lexa called upon Anya to come up and start the festivities. Anya brought a Grounder woman up with her and talked about the upcoming storm and told the story of the wars and droughts in the beginning and why the rains were so important to the survival of the people. She gave thanks for the rain, and the woman next to her began to sing. Skaikru didn't understand the words, but the melody was beautiful and moving. After the song ended, people moved around camp, eating and sharing stories. Music was being played and people were dancing around the fire pit.

"Which one do you think is higher in station, a Heda, or a Princess?" Bellamy whispered to Clarke. She laughed and smacked him on the chest. He inhaled sharply at the pain, never having a tattoo before, he didn't know something so simple could hurt so much. Clarke quickly turned to him in alarm.

"Bel, are you okay? Are you hurt? You should let me look at it." Clarke was hastily checking him over for injury when he grabbed her hands and kissed her knuckles.

"I'm fine Princess, just sore. I got a tattoo on my chest, and it hurt a bit when you slapped it."

"You got a tattoo? Really? Can I see?"

"I got two, one on my chest and one on my arm." He showed her his arrows and hissed when she gently ran her fingers over them. She pulled her hand away quickly, looking up with sorrow on her face. He grabbed her hand and placed it back on his arm.

"It's okay Princess, it didn't hurt, but if you keep touching me like that, I'm going to have to steal you away so I can answer in kind."

"Ewwww, that's something I didn't need to hear." Octavia snuck up behind them, Lincoln by her side.

"Serves you right. You know what they say about eavesdropping, you never hear what you want to hear." Bellamy turned and laughed at the pout on his sister's face. She stuck her tongue out at him and he tweaked her nose.

"So, Heda, what's next?" Octavia wrapped an arm around Clarke's shoulder and started pulling her to the edge of all the dancers.

"Lexa gave us a map of the area and marked off what is now considered our land. It's bigger than our current borders, so we will be able to spread out a bit more. Once the Arkers land, they will have the option of following me, or making their own treaty with Lexa. Either way, the 100 will have peace with the Grounders. The Arkers are being given two weeks to make their decision. Grounders will start arriving tomorrow to help train us, and learn about healing from me. They will also help train us to build shelters to get us through the winter. I would like you and Lincoln to be in charge of our warriors."

Octavia turned to Clarke "Are you sure? I'm still learning and Lincoln is new to our clan, will the Grounders even accept that?"

"Lexa has explained to the messengers that Lincoln is no longer a part of Trikru, he is pardoned from his crimes and is now a member of Skaikru. The messengers will relay that information when they spread the word of the treaty. They were sent out just after Lexa's speech, news spreads fast amongst the Grounders, it'll be fine. Plus, the two of you know more about Grounder warriors more than anyone else at camp. I trust you to make us strong."

Octavia hugged Clarke and grabbed Lincoln, dragging him into the dancers. Bellamy crossed his arms and stood next to Clarke. They both watched all the dancers as they dipped and moved around the fire. He bumped his shoulder against Clarke's.

"Thank you for making her happy, even if it makes my job harder."

"What do you mean? I'm making your job easier. Think about it, if she's too busy training warriors, and being in charge of our army, then she doesn't have time to get into trouble. And by having Lincoln at her side, she has even less reason to leave camp unattended." She gave him a half smile, knowing she had him beat.

"Then that means we have time to dance, come on Princess, let's show them how it's done." Bellamy grabbed her hand and pulled her into the growing group of dancers. They twisted and turned around each other, their bodies brushing up against each other, heightening their awareness of one another.

Bellamy pulled Clarke into him as an over enthusiastic dancer got a little too close. She laughed as she looked up into his face. He was leaning down to kiss her when they heard a loud bang and looked up to the sky, multiple fires streaked across the stars, blocking out their light. The music stopped and everyone stared, watching as the remnants of the Ark fell down to the Earth. Clarke and Bellamy watched the projected trajectory until the pieces fell past the tree line.

"Heda kom Skaikru, you should return to your village to prepare. In the morning, I will send out scouts to help look for your people. I will prepare some horses and a guide to take you back. Explain all to your people, and select your attendants. Once we have word of your people, I will send messengers and you can make haste to collect them." Lexa turned and gestured for them to follow, Bellamy placed his hand on the small of her back and gathered Octavia, Lincoln, and Finn with a glance.


	11. Chapter 11

***I can't believe I've had over 1300 views! That makes me so happy! Thank you all for reading! I hope you are enjoying the story so far, if there is anything you would like to see, please feel free to request in your review! As per usual, I own nothing of the 100! *^.^*

~Chapter 11~

Abby stepped out of the ship and out into the fresh air. It was morning, everyone was knocked unconscious from the landing, but people were starting wake up. She looked around at the trees, grass, mountains and sunrise. All the colors blending together in the sky as the sun rose from the horizon made her tear up. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever saw. She took a deep breath. The air was fresh and crisp, and smelled sweet. Nothing like the stale recycled air on the Ark. She pressed a button on her headpiece "Thelonious, I wish you could be down here to see this, it's more wonderful than any of us ever imagined. The pictures and videos we grew up with don't do it justice."

"Abby, it's good to hear your voice. Did everyone make it?"

"Everyone in Alpha station is accounted for, there are injuries, but nothing dire. I don't know about the others, have you heard anything?"

"Negative, you are the first to respond. Once everyone is up and moving, set up a base and send out search parties for survivors. You and Kane are in charge until all our people are found, then you can hold an election for a new Chancellor and Council. Find our people, Abby, find the 100. Find Clarke. Jaha out."

"But sir, sir?" She tried the comm again, but Thelonious was gone. She heard the hatch open and turned around to see Marcus step out with a few of the other survivors. She stood back and watched as they all looked around in awe, much like she had a few minutes ago. She reluctantly pulled Marcus aside and told him what Jaha had said, and they discussed the best way to move forward. According to the coordinates that Clarke had given them, they landed about two days walk away from the drop ship. They decided that Abby would stay at camp and treat the wounded. A team would be left behind to protect them and begin to set up a perimeter. Kane would take a team to find the 100, and they would send out two more teams at a time to look for other Ark survivors.

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Bellamy woke up just after sunrise, Clarke was nestled up next to him, her head in the crook of his arm, her hand rested on his chest. This was the second night that they had just slept next to each other. They were both still fully dressed, a first for Bellamy, and amazingly enough he didn't mind. He used his free hand to brush the hair out of her face. Her golden hair a halo in the morning sunlight. She shivered, unsure if it was from the cold morning, or from the brush of his hand, he pulled the fur up closer around her.

He thought back to the events of the last twenty four hours. After they returned to camp late last night, they were bombarded by everyone at camp. They all sat around the camp fire while the delegates regaled everyone with the tale of how they brokered peace with the Grounders. Clarke had given everyone at camp the choice of staying with Skaikru, or branching off to form their own group, or joining the Ark when they were found. Every one of the surviving members of the 100 said they would stay, Clarke had managed to earned their loyalty and friendship through their short time together on Earth. He stood proudly next to her, hearing all the reasons the delinquents gave for staying. They even decided to hold their own special ceremony, it was Monty and Jasper's idea, and Harper wrote their oath of loyalty. Each member took turns bending down on one knee, placing their hand over their hearts and swearing fealty to their new Heda.

Once every one gave their oath, Monty broke out his moonshine and the camp celebrated well into the night. When Clarke started yawning, Bellamy made their excuses to the 100 and walked Clarke to her tent. Clarke raised an eyebrow, grabbed his hand, and led him over to his tent. Without a word, they laid down on his bed, the sounds of their friend's laughter lulling them to sleep.

_Clarke was having a wonderful dream, she was lying in a field of flowers and Bellamy was next to her. They were just lying there, basking in the sun, staring into each other's eyes. The sun was warm, and there was a light breeze. A small child ran up to them and jumped on Bellamy. It was a little girl with bouncing brown curls and bright blue eyes. She was no more than five years old. "Daddy, daddy, come look! Aunt O and I caught a rabbit in my trap!" _

_Bellamy laughed "Okay, okay, Julia, I'll come see, just give me a minute to get up."_

_The little girl grabbed Clarke's hand and started tugging. "Mommy, you have to come too! Aunt O said you would be so proud of me because I built the trap just like you taught me!" _

_She let the little girl pull her up, then giggled as Bellamy picked Julia up and placed her on his shoulders. He grabbed her hand and they walked off to see the rabbit._

_They were laughing when she saw Octavia waving to her from the edge of the forest, Lincoln was standing next to her. As they got closer, Julia began to wiggle and Bellamy plopped her down. She ran over to Octavia and Lincoln swung her up into his arms. "I see you found your parents, my little goufa, let's show them what you caught."_

_Once they had praised Julia profusely for her accomplishment, they all headed back to camp where they ate lunch with all of their family. Their camp had grown into a full village, and Skaikru had grown with the addition of the Ark, and children ran through the camp unafraid. Siblings were a normal thing now, and everyone was happy and prospering. Clarke looked around with happiness at her village. She heard her name being called from far off, and looked around for the source._

"Clarke, come on Princess, time to wake up." Bellamy kissed her forehead and traced the smile on her lips with his fingertips. She began to stir, and he couldn't help but smile at the cute noises she made as she woke up.

She blinked a few times. "Bellamy? Is everything okay?"

"Yes, but I thought we should get up and moving, the storms are on their way and we should prepare for the arrival of the Grounders and any Ark survivors that find their way here."

Clarke yawned and stretched out before giving Bellamy a peck on the cheek. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She thought about her dream and how happy she was. She didn't know where things were going with Bellamy, but the thought of having his child, the child from her dream, filled her with such longing, she almost felt like crying.

"What's wrong Princess? You have such a sad face this morning."

"There's nothing really wrong, I just had an extremely good dream, and I wish I could make it real." She sighed as she swung her feet over the edge of the bed and went to put her boots on before she remembered that she was still in her dress from last night. She laughed "I should probably change into proper clothing, after all, there's a lot that needs to be done around camp, and a dress just won't cut it. It was really nice of Lexa to give it to me, she said our clothing was a gift." Bellamy swung his legs on each side of her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.

"What was your dream? Maybe we can make it come true." He placed his head on top of hers and gave her a squeeze.

"Everyone in camp was so happy, we had built all sorts of structures and the drop ship was only used for storage. Our camp looked like most of the Grounder villages, and people were walking around laughing and there were children everywhere. Siblings had become a normal part of life because people didn't have to fear being floated for having more than one child."

He kissed her on the temple, letting his lips linger there for a moment. "That does sound like a great dream, one that I know we can make happen. We have already taken the first steps, we will get there, it's just going to take a little time."

"Anyway, it's not important, we have bigger things to deal with right now, starting with us getting up and dressed for the day." She attempted to get up a second time, only to have him pull her down once again.

"It's important to me, and I know it's important to you. Promise me that you won't give up on this dream, that you will try everything in your power to make it all come true."

She leaned her head back against his chest and whispered "I promise."

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Everyone had gathered at Clarke's request, she was standing on the landing of the dropship, Bellamy at her side. They had spent the morning touring the camp and making sure the preparations for the Grounder's arrival were underway. By mid-morning, Grounders from the surrounding villages arrived, ready to learn and teach. Many seemed uncomfortable, and nervous with the new situation. A few had already started talking to the different delinquents, and she hoped friendships would soon form. Excited chatter filled the air, and Bellamy raised his hand to get everyone's attention. Clarke hadn't prepared a speech, but knew it was important to set the right tone for the next few days.

"Esteemed guests from the twelve clans, Skaikru welcomes you and is honored by your presence here. We are humbled to be given the opportunity to learn from you and work with you. To my people, Skaikru, you will have the option of working in different areas as we build our village. After much discussion we have decided on a system where there will be people in charge of their specific areas of expertise. Choose the area that you want to work in and report to your chief of staff. Octavia and Lincoln are in charge of our warriors. Miller is in charge of our guards. Sterling, our hunting parties and Finn will assist with training the hunters in tracking skills. Monty and Jasper are in charge of farming and agriculture, Raven will head up technology, Monroe will be in charge of our construction and architects, Fox will be the head of our culinary crew, and I will be training Harper to take over Medical. Currently we have no one in charge of education, if you are interested in heading this department, please see me." Clarke took a deep breath and looked out at her people.

"I know we do not have any young children in our village, but as our village grows, we hope children will become a part of our everyday lives. Future generations will be taught the histories of our people, they will learn about our history before the wars, our history in space, and our time on the ground. They will learn about Grounder history, and what it took for us to find peace. They will learn about those lost since we've landed on the ground, both from the sky and the ground. Those sacrifices, _from both sides_, will be remembered and honored. They will not be forgotten. Our children deserve an education, rich with the stories of _all_ their people. We will make our home here on the Earth. We are no longer 'Sky people', we are Skaikru." She paused and looked around at everyone, and made it a point to include the Grounders. "We have joined the Grounders in peace, and we will learn their ways as we teach them ours. We are _all_ family, we are _all_ survivors, we. Are. ALL. GROUNDERS!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and Bellamy noticed that even the Grounders seemed impressed. People began to disperse to find their groups to get started. This morning the two of them had chosen, and gathered the leaders after breakfast. They had sat down and mapped out their plans for the next few weeks. Living quarters were a priority as the weather was unpredictable and winter would be here before they knew it. Once the Grounders had arrived, Clarke had introduced them to her "Chiefs" so they could determine who they would be working with. He leaned over "I'm proud of you Princess, that was perfect."

Clarke blew out a breath "I just hope it's enough."

"It will be."

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Kane was getting frustrated, it was the second day of their journey and half his team had fallen into a Grounder trap. It was a hole, about eight feet deep and four feet wide. He was pretty sure that his leg was broken, Sgt. Scott's leg was sitting at an odd angle, definitely broken, and Wick broke his arm. There were only five men on his team, so the two who didn't fall in were currently lowering a rope down to pull them out. He tied the rope around Sgt. Scott first. It was painstaking work, but they were able to get him out without making the injury worse. Wick was more of a problem because it was hard to tie the rope around under his arms without causing a good deal of pain. Marcus ended up tying the rope around his legs and waist, creating a harness. He told Wick to hold on to the rope with his good arm. Once Wick was up, they lowered the rope once again, and as soon as he was out he gave commands to make a stretcher for Sgt. Scott and to find two large branches that he could use as crutches. They used the first aid kit to make a sling for Wick's arm, and as soon as they were all fixed up, they headed out.

According to his calculations, they were getting close, about a quarter mile away from the 100. He gave the coordinates to his two healthy guards and sent them up ahead to get help. He took out his canteen and gave a drink of water to Sgt. Scott, then sat down next to Wick on a fallen log. He offered a drink to Wick who refused, then took a swig himself.

"What's the plan once we reach the 100, Sir?" Wick was curious. He was surprised that he was even asked to be on the team, he wasn't a guardsman, and all Kane told him was that he was needed for communications. He was an engineer, not a mechanic. He wasn't sure what he could do if they lost communication with Alpha Station.

"The plan is to assess the situation at their camp, establish control, and get back to Alpha Station. Then we can continue to look for other survivors. For now, we just need to hope they have enough medical supplies and resources to get us back on our feet."

"Some of us more than others, huh Sir?"

Marcus chuckled "It would seem that way. Why don't you both try to get some rest, they should be back soon."


	12. Chapter 12

***Here we go! The Ark and the 100 are going to reunite! This is a long chapter and there is smut, just a heads up! This is why my story was rated M for Mature;) Thank you for reading and reviewing! Still don't own the 100. It's a bummer.

~Chapter 12~

Clarke was in the middle of teaching the Grounders how to use moonshine to disinfect when a shout came from outside. Everyone was instantly on alert as they walked out of the dropship, Bellamy put his arm out in front of her to stop her.

"Let me go first Princess." For the most part, he had started referring to her as 'Heda' in front of others, to set the example for their people and to keep the Grounders at ease, but when they were alone, he reverted back to 'Princess' so she would know that nothing had really changed between them. He waited for her nod of assent before stepping out into the bustling camp. He saw Finn running up to them and yelling for Clarke. Bellamy sneered with pleasure as one of the Grounders stopped him and pushed him down to the ground.

"She is your Heda, you will do well to remember to address her as such. Now, what is this yelling all about _boy_?"

Finn glanced up with contempt at the Grounder, then to Bellamy who looked far too smug for his liking. He propped himself on his elbows. "Bellamy, we need Clarke, two members of the Ark were just spotted outside of camp, headed this way."

Bellamy crossed his arms. "Maybe you didn't hear the first time, she is Heda to you. Or did you not kneel and give your oath of loyalty to her just last night?"

Finn rolled his eyes "Fine, we need our Heda. Can she come out to play, or do you plan to continue your act of brave knight protecting the Princess?"

The Grounder pulled out a sword, but before he could do anything, Bellamy laid a hand on his arm and said in a low voice "He's mine." He walked over to Finn, grabbed him by the collar, ripped him off the ground and pulled him up close to his face. He lowered his voice to a deep growl and shook him "I'm not playing an act, I _will_ protect her, it is _my_ duty, but beyond that, it is also _my_ honor. If you ever show such disrespect towards her again, you will find yourself in a very precarious position." He shoved Finn away and spoke louder for everyone to hear "And Finn? She is _my_ Princess, don't forget it."

He turned to see Clarke standing outside of the drop ship, she must have seen and heard it all. He couldn't even pretend to be sorry, especially since she was standing there all regal looking as if she had commanded him to do it all herself. He stepped up next to her and she placed her hand on his arm. They stepped around Finn who was giving him the death stare and headed towards the gate. The Grounders followed behind, just as curious as he was to see who was at the gate. He didn't care if Finn followed or not as long as he didn't try to cause more trouble.

"While I enjoy seeing you get all possessive and such, remember it's going to take everyone some time to adjust to calling me 'Heda' as opposed to 'Clarke' when that's all they've known me as."

"I know Princess, and if that's all it was, there wouldn't have been a scene. I don't like the way he treats you, he needs to learn respect. He hasn't respected you from the beginning, and that's unacceptable to me."

"Do I detect a soft side to Bellamy Blake, the fearless 'Rebel King'?"

"Only when it comes to you Princess, only when it comes to you."

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"Open the gates!" Clarke bellowed as they neared the edge of camp. She stood tall, her nerves taut and tight. What if her mom didn't make it, what if she did? What if the Council wouldn't accept her as Heda, and tried to take over camp? She needed to stay strong for her people, but she didn't know if she could. She felt Bellamy place a reassuring hand on the small of her back. She could do this, she had to. She took a deep breath as two men she didn't recognize came through the gates.

"Welcome to our village. I am Heda, Clarke Kom Skaikru. What station are you from and what can you tell us of other survivors?"

"Clarke? Clarke Griffin? Thank goodness! We are from Alpha Station. We were traveling with Chancellor Kane and two others when they were injured due to a pit trap. They are not far, only a quarter of a mile away, but we need help to get them here."

Clarke nodded and turned to yell "Someone get Harper, and some of our warriors, we will need them to come with us to help get these people back here to camp before sundown."

People scattered to do her bidding. She turned to one of the members of Skaikru that was standing nearby "Can you get some water and food for our guests while we prepare for departure?" She waited until the girl scurried off then turned back to the two guardsmen "If you will give us about fifteen minutes, we will be ready to follow you." She turned and walked back towards the dropship.

Bellamy grabbed her arm "Heda, you shouldn't leave camp right now, we have the Grounders here, and we need to find a place to put these extra people."

"Bellamy, I understand your concern, but I can have Octavia and Lincoln do that. If Kane is there, I need to establish myself as soon as possible. Preferably _before_ he steps foot in our village."

Bellamy sighed "You're right. We can't have him come into camp and trying to act the part of Chancellor. Let's go grab some supplies."

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Kane was staring at the trees above him, the leaves gently blowing in the wind was mesmerizing. The gentle sway of the branches beneath the blue sky was so beautiful and relaxing, it was hard to imagine the death and carnage the 100 had gone through since they were sent down. He heard noises in the woods and quickly righted himself and looked around, the sound was coming from the direction that he sent Smith and Reynolds in. He hoped it was them coming with help and not Grounders. He reached for his gun and quietly told Wick to do the same just in case. Sgt. Scott had already pulled out his weapon, but Marcus wasn't sure how much help he could be. When he saw Smith emerge, he sagged with relief.

Behind Smith and Reynolds came Bellamy, Clarke, and a few others he didn't recognize. He noticed how different they looked. Clarke's hair was twisted in all sorts of braids and she was wearing paint on her face, Bellamy was also wearing paint, and was that a tattoo on his arm? Both looked like they had aged years in the few months they had been on the ground. He felt shame in the part that he played in this.

Clarke walked up to Kane with Bellamy at her side. Both stopped directly in front of him and waited while he pulled himself up to a standing position with his makeshift walking sticks. "Marcus Kane, it's good to see you. We will get you back to our village, but before we do, how many survived the landing?"

"Clarke, it's good to see you too. Your mother will be so happy that we found you. All those that traveled on Alpha Station made it, and we are sending search parties out to look for other survivors."

"We have scouts out looking as well, the Commander is graciously lending us trackers that are out searching as we speak. She will send word as soon as anyone is found. I will then travel to those locations to bring anyone who wants to join us back to our village. There is much to catch up on, but I fear I must stand firm on something before you are allowed to come to our village. If you do not agree, we will escort you back to your landing site before heading back home."

Kane was confused, what could he possibly have to agree to? He said as much and Bellamy stepped forward.

"Kane, I understand that you are used to being in charge, but down here things are different."

Clarke grabbed his arm and stepped in to clarify "We made a peace treaty with the Commander. As part of the agreement, I was named 'Heda" of Skaikru, that's our clan. Bellamy was named my guardsman, and I have appointed people in charge of different aspects of our village. Lexa made it clear that the agreement is only for those that follow me. If you do not want to join Skaikru, that is fine, but you will have to make your own agreement with the Grounders. Either way, we are no longer members of the Ark."

"And we're expected to just accept this? Clarke, you're a child, you can't expect the adults from the Ark to follow you, or to let you continue to lead the other children." Kane answered incredulously.

"You sent us down here to die. We survived and found out that we weren't alone. We've had to make tough decisions. We've _killed_. And you think we aren't fit to run things because of our age?" Bellamy was fuming, how dare he come down here and think he can just take over like nothing happened.

"This is getting us nowhere. So, let me try to understand this, in order for my men to get help from you, we have to agree to join your tribe?"

Clarke had to step in and defuse the situation before it got worse. She got between them and held a hand out in front of each of them, preventing them from stepping any closer in anger. "No, you just have to agree that you are here as our guests, and understand that you are not in charge. Once you are well, you are free to stay or free to go. You have two weeks to decide."

"And if we don't decide to follow you?"

"Then you will have to arrange for your own peace treaty. Although, as long as you don't hurt anyone or hunt on our lands, you should be fine. Just know that if you start a war with any of the other clans, you are starting a war with us as well."

Bellamy took a step back, crossed his arms, and sent Kane a glare "Anyone is welcome to join Skaikru, but when you do, you _will_ give your oath of loyalty to our Heda."

Marcus took a deep breath to calm down. Maybe if he went with them to their so-called village, he could learn more about the situation. At the very least, they could get medical treatment before heading back to Alpha Station. Abby was going to be pissed once she heard about this. "Okay, I accept your terms. We will come as guests and I will wait to discuss this further until we've returned to our base."

"Excellent. Let's get you back to our village, they will have prepared dinner and a place for you all to rest."

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After setting the broken bones and getting their guests settled in for the night, Clarke and Bellamy sat near the camp fire. Most of their people had gone to bed, only a few lingered, wandering around camp, chatting with friends, or getting ready for sleep. Night guards were posted around the perimeter, and the Grounders had set up camp along one of the walls.

"You know, Bel, we should name our village. We need something that inspires hope in our people. Have any ideas?"

Bellamy took a sip of the moonshine Monty had given them earlier. "What about Gaia? She was considered to be 'Mother Earth'."

"Hmmmm….We did work hard to get down here, Earth is important to our people, but somehow that doesn't sound quite right. Any other ideas?"

"How about Eos?"

"I like that, tell me more about this Eos." Clarke drank the last of her moonshine then leaned back on her hands to see Bellamy better.

"Eos was a Goddess and the mother of Selene. It's said that she was the bringer of dawn, she would open up the gates of heaven to let the sun rise." He looked over to Clarke who was relaxed for the first time he could remember. Her eyes were half closed and she had a smile on her face.

"I like that, it's like us, we are standing on the precipice of a new dawn with this treaty, and with each new dawn we are striving towards prosperity and happiness. I think I like Eos."

"Me too Princess."

Clarke felt a drop of rain splash on her arm, she looked up to the sky to feel another drop hit her face. She stood up so quickly, she almost fell, but Bellamy grabbed her around the waist and steadied her.

"Are you okay?"

Clarke laughed "Yes! Look Bel, the rain is here!"

Bellamy held out his hand and sure enough he was hit with a drop of rain. It was cold but felt nice. He called the people walking around over to help him set up their campfire cover. It was a design built by Monroe and Monty. A portable stand, eight feet by eight feet square, it was made from branches cut down from the surrounding woods. It stood about eight feet off the ground with one side slightly higher than the other. There was a hollowed out branch running alongside the shorter side where it would collect the rain and drop it into a barrel from a hole drilled in the bottom on one side. It would keep the fire going so they could cook and stay warm, and it would collect fresh water all at the same time. The grounders had shown them how to make wooden barrels, using wood and animal fat as a sealant to keep the water in. They had already finished one barrel today and were half way through with the second.

They needed four people to move the shelter, but it was extremely useful. When not in use, they could use it for shade during the day when people took breaks for meals or due to heat. After they got it set in place, he sent two of them off to grab the barrel. They might as well start collecting so they would have water for drinking without having to go to the river. Once everything was set up, he made the nightly rounds with Clarke before heading off to bed. They walked hand in hand over to his tent, neither one of them pretending that she was going to sleep anywhere else.

After they stepped into Bellamy's tent, Clarke stopped in her tracks. At some point during the day, all of her belongings had been brought here. Her sketchbook sat on his table next to her meager collection of art supplies. Her clothing was piled next to his on a small pallet in the corner. Somehow, the sight of their things mingling together didn't fill her with a sense of panic, but instead a sense of rightness. It looked homey, and that was something she hadn't had since the Ark. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and his chin rest on her shoulder.

"Please don't be mad, Princess, you've been here the last few nights, and we needed a space to put Kane and his team. To be honest, I've wanted this since the first night you slept in here. You fit here, _we_ fit." He sighed "If you decide you want to sleep in your own bed, I will have it moved in here tomorrow, but I'm not letting you go. Above all else, you are now Heda, and my job is to protect you, at all times."

She placed her arms over his, wrapping them around her tighter. She could tell that he was nervous, because he was rambling and making sure to pile on his reasons for her to move in with him. It was kind of cute.

"Bel, it's okay, I'm not mad. I wasn't planning on going anywhere, and having my stuff here means I don't have to keep going back and forth in the mornings to get dressed." She leaned her head back against his chest "Plus, I also think we fit. You're my best friend. It's as complicated and as simple as that."

Bellamy blew out the breath he didn't realize he was holding. He was so worried that she would get her back up about it. She was a fiercely independent woman, and he didn't want her on the offense. The rain started coming down a bit harder, so he let her go and took a moment to secure the tent flaps so they wouldn't open during the night. When he turned back around she was sitting on the bed, her shoes and socks already on the floor. He felt like they had crossed over some invisible line and now everything felt more intimate, more real. He walked over to the bed, sat down next to her, and took of his boots.

"Bel, I'm sure you've guessed, but I slept with Finn after we landed. He was my first. You have so much more experience than me…"

He interrupted her with a finger to her lips "Clarke, I've slept with half the women at this camp, but that's all it was. Just sex. Things with you are…different. I'm stumbling as I go along here, and I'm just as inexperienced with this as you are. I know the mechanics, but feelings were never a part of the deal."

Clarke sighed a breath of relief. She smiled, leaned forward, and when her lips were only inches away from his she whispered "Then, if you don't want this, you should probably say so now." Throwing his words from the hot springs back at him. She heard him chuckle just before she kissed him. He took a deep breath through his nose before his hand came up to wrap around the back of her head, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. She rose up on her knees and tangled her fingers in his hair.

Bellamy used his free hand to grab her waist and pull her closer into his chest. Their tongues clashed, darting in and around each other. He moaned when she pressed her breasts against his chest and pulled on his hair. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, trying to pull her even closer if it was possible. He stood up without breaking the kiss and slowly pushed her back onto the pallet, he settled himself between her legs and broke away to trail kisses down her neck and collarbone.

Clarke arched her back as Bellamy's hands skimmed around the bottom of her shirt, silently asking permission to remove it. She nodded her assent and pushed herself up to a sitting position so he could pull it up and over her head. He kissed her ravenously as he undid her bra and flung it aside. She fell back on the bed and his lips traveled down to her breasts. Her nipples were hard from the cool night's air, and he used his tongue to flick the nubs until they were painfully erect. He took one nipple into his mouth and sucked as his hand moved down to her jeans. He deftly undid the buttons and slipped his hand beneath her underwear to touch her, making her arch off the bed.

She cried out his name and it was the loveliest sound he had ever heard. Her hands moved back and forth, gripping first his hair, then the fur blankets covering the bed. He pushed up onto his knees, and slowly peeled away her jeans and panties. He sat there for a moment, basking in the beauty that was a mussed Clarke. Her lips red and swollen from his kisses, her hair spread out over his bed, and her eyes darkened from desire. There was nothing more beautiful than his Princess in this moment. Bellamy pulled his shirt up over his head and stood up quickly to shuck his pants. She reached out her hand to him, and he climbed onto the bed situating himself next to her. Brushing a stray hair out of her face he ran his hand down her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her, more gently this time, making sure to go slow.

Clarke felt his hand trace heated patterns on her skin as it made its way back down her body. His fingers separated her folds and he pressed down on her sex, rubbing it and building a fire within her. She writhed on the bed as he pressed a finger inside of her, moving it in and out, making her wet all over. When he pressed a second finger in her, she almost came right off the bed. Throwing her head back, she moaned his name. His thumb flicked over her nub a few times, pushing her over the edge. His mouth swallowed her scream as she came, his fingers slowing down as she rode out the waves of ecstasy. His tongue tangling with hers as she floated back down to Earth.

Clarke was glorious when she came, she was a goddess and he wanted nothing more than to worship her every night for the rest of his life. He moved over her and pushed her knees up as he set his erection at the entrance to her heat. He grabbed her hands, intertwining his fingers with hers and positioning their hands on either side of her head. He waited until she opened her eyes, then trapped her gaze as he slowly pushed into her. Once he was there he held still, gritting his teeth as he held back his orgasm. He began to move slowly, accentuating each slow thrust with the words of his oath, he hadn't given her the words as everyone else did, and somehow this felt like the right time.

"I, Bellamy Blake, pledge myself to you, Heda, Clarke Kom Skaikru. I will be loyal and faithful, ready to defend and protect you, even at the cost of my own life. I will work towards the good of our people, and for the glory of Skaikru. I will respect the Earth around us, and will honor you all the rest of my days."

Bellamy had replaced the word 'serve' with the word 'honor' because it seemed to fit his feelings for her much better. He kissed the tears that fell from her eyes as he pushed deep inside of her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to bring him even deeper. He lifted himself back up to get a better angle and increased his speed, pushing her over the edge again. Slowing to a stop, Bellamy rested deep inside her while their heartrates slowed to a more normal pace. He let go of her hands and propped himself up on his elbows, brushing the hair away from her sweaty face. He kissed her forehead, temples, eyelids, nose, and finally her lips.

Clarke lifted her hips, urging him to move again, she threw herself into the rhythm, her hips rising to meet his, their tongues crashing, their hearts and souls merging into one. She used her chin to break the kiss and nudge his head up, staring into his eyes she whispered "I love you Bellamy Blake."

He pushed deep inside of her and came at her declaration. He huffed out a breath and collapsed on top of her. He rested his weight fully on her, pressing her down into the bed. When he had gathered some of his strength, he propped himself up, kissed her, and then leaned down to whisper in her ear "I love you too, Princess."


	13. Chapter 13

***I hope you're enjoying the story! Thank you for reading and please review! I want to know what you think and feel free to drop ideas!

_Clarke was wandering through her village, talking to people as she passed. Everyone was celebrating because the last house was finished. They had finally finished building up their village, and now they could relax a bit. There was dancing around the fire and Bellamy dragged her over and started twirling her around in circles. He spun her faster and faster, she started to get dizzy and then he let go. She spun around trying to catch her balance, and when the world stopped spinning she was back on the Ark. Her mother was trying to save a sick little girl in medical. _

"_Damn it! We don't have the right kind of medicine to treat this! How are we supposed to save her without medicine?" Abby threw one of her surgical tools across the room._

"_Mom! What do you mean you don't have the medicine? We have tons here, let me look for you, what do you need?"_

"_Clarke, thank goodness, I need you to go to Mount Weather to get me more medicine. We are all out. You must go quickly, time is running out."_

_Kane burst into the room "Abby, what did I tell you? You can't go sending Clarke out, she's just a child! She'll never make it. You disobeyed a direct order. Guards, seize her, she will be floated for her disobedience."_

"_NO!"_

Clarke woke up, a scream trapped in her throat. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, Bellamy stirred beside her.

"Princess? Are you okay?" Bellamy sat up and rubbed Clarke's back, her shoulders tense.

"Yes, bad dream, but it reminded me of something important. We have to speak to Monty, Jasper, Raven, Harper, Miller, Octavia, and Lincoln right away."

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"Okay Clarke, I get that your Heda now and all, but the middle of the night? Seriously? You better explain quickly." Raven grumbled sleepily. They were around the fire trying to keep warm in the cool night air.

"I'm sorry, and if this wasn't urgent, I wouldn't have called this secret meeting. I haven't had a chance to broach the subject with you all before because as soon as Bellamy and I found out, we had to go meet with the Grounders, then the Ark landed, and things have been a little crazy around here. You guys can't say anything to anyone, but Monty got into Mount Weather."

A collective "What?" resounded around the camp fire. Clarke quickly shushed them so they wouldn't be overheard. "Monty found supplies in there, which is why we have to keep this between all of us. Since Kane and the others from the Ark have not declared their loyalty to Skaikru, we can't trust them with this information. Monty, I need you to tell us everything you saw."

Monty took a look around to ensure their privacy. He leaned forward propping his elbows on his knees. "There is electricity, and the lights come on and turn off automatically by motion sensors. There are approximately one hundred fully furnished housing rooms, a large dining hall, kitchen, hydroponic farm, science lab, commons area, a school, medical lab, offices, storage, and even a security room. About half of the stocked food has gone bad, but there is a science lab and storage facility that has a collection of agricultural seeds and a DNA collection for reproduction of animals and even humans. I didn't dig far into the data system, but it was originally built for a select group of people chosen by the government to ride out the bombs and radiation. There was no evidence that anyone got inside before the bombs, and it looks like no one has been inside since."

Raven waved a hand dismissively. "No one made it in time because the bombs were set off unexpectedly. If you remember, even the twelve stations had no idea. Everyone was searching for ways to avoid war, and looking for ways to survive if they couldn't. Even knowing it was a possibility, and preparing for it, wasn't enough."

"Seems to be an Earth thing. No matter how much you prepare, something comes along and ruins it for you anyway." Jasper scoffed.

Monty decided to intervene before they got off topic, he was tired and wanted to go back to bed. "Guys, the point is, there are tons of supplies in Mount Weather. The question is, what do we want to do with it all?"

"We have to keep this quiet for now, if the Ark finds out, they will take it all for themselves, and I'm sorry, but after everything they've put us through, I'm not willing to give it up to them." Raven replied.

"I agree. The Ark was more than willing to send us all down here to die, they shouldn't get anything that we don't give them. Not unless they are willing to swear loyalty to Clarke and Skaikru." Octavia looked around the fire, everyone nodding their agreement.

"Looking to you, Princess. What's the plan?" Bellamy watched as different emotions and thoughts flittered across her face. They all waited patiently while she worked it out in her head.

"Okay, Kane and his team should be ready to move out within a week or so, I want their bones to settle a bit more before they make the trek. It takes two days to get to Alpha Station. In the meantime, Kane has a comm and can talk with Alpha Station, the signal isn't good, so all he's been able to do so far is assure them that they arrived and that everyone is safe. Raven, I know you've been working with Wick to strengthen the signal, how long do you think it will be until we have full access to communication?"

Raven smiled wickedly "I've known how to fix it since they arrived, but I wasn't going to do anything until I spoke with you to see if you even wanted it fixed."

"Perfect. Monty, is Mount Weather secured?"

"Yes, I was able to hack into the mainframe and change the passcodes to all the entrances. There is a hidden keypad next to each door. There are multiple ways to get in and out of Mount Weather. The hardest part is getting around the Reapers."

"Lincoln, what can you tell us about the Reapers?"

Lincoln took a deep breath. "This is not a happy part of our history, but I will explain it as best I can. After the bombs, Becca Pramheda became the first Commander and took charge of the survivors. There was a group that knew about Mount Weather, but were not a part of the selected group to be inside. A few of the Selected managed to survive even without making it to Mount Weather. The Cons decided to use the knowledge of the Selected to get in. Once the Cons had gotten the location information out of the Selected by torturing them, they slit their throats. The people started panicking and fighting. Becca Pramheda knew that survival depended on starting over. Guns and technology were not the answer, after all, they had destroyed the world. She commanded that everyone stay far away from Mount Weather. The Cons hatched a secret plot to kill Becca Pramheda so they could take Mount Weather for themselves. She received word about the plan from a defector, and had the Cons killed. Years later, Becca Pramheda wanted to send scouts over to Mount Weather to look for medical supplies and food. During that time, animals weren't repopulating fast enough to keep up with the amount of food needed for survival. What she didn't know was that a group had formed shortly after the Cons were wiped out, and their only goal was to keep everyone out of Mount Weather. They truly believed that it was evil and the source to all their problems. They led a rebellion and burned Becca Pramheda on a stake. Her spirit chose a new body, and the second Commander was able to move her remaining people somewhere safe. Grounders and the Reapers have fought ever since."

"So basically the Reapers are a cult dedicated to keeping guns and technology out of the hands of Grounders. Great. So how do we get in without them attacking?" Harper had been quiet for the majority of the meeting, but she had to speak up, she did not want to go after the Reapers, those guys were terrifying.

"Monty, how did you get in?" Bellamy figured if Monty could find a way in, there had to be a way to get them all in without being seen.

"I was lucky. It was night and there were no Reapers or Grounders around, I took my chances, found a door, and forced my way in. Getting out was the hard part. It's a lot more difficult to see the surrounding area from the inside. I ended up going out a different way than I went in."

"Lincoln, do you know how many Reapers there are?" Clarke was curious, there had to be a way to get in and out without being seen.

"No one knows for sure. I have been watching them for years. I draw pictures of each one that I see, I have drawn twenty three Reapers. There may be more, but those are the ones I regularly see around the perimeter. There are usually five or six out at any given time. Sometimes more."

"Okay, for now Octavia and Lincoln, keep training during the day. In the evening, sneak away and make it look like your leaving to get some privacy. Once you're away from camp, do some reconnaissance. See if you can detect any patterns in the Reapers movement. Don't be gone longer than a couple of hours. Everyone else, keep doing what you're doing, and don't let anyone else know about Mount Weather. We'll meet up in a few days to discuss our next move." Clarke could see that everyone was barely staying awake. She just needed to get this all hammered out before morning. "If Kane asks anyone about Mount Weather, tell them we tried to get in before but Jasper was attacked once he crossed the border. If he pokes around too much, I'll handle him."

"I think we should warn the other members of Skaikru to keep their eyes and ears open. Kane and his group are not Skaikru, nor are they Grounders, and while they _were_ 'our people' they aren't any more and we need to protect this family first and foremost." All eyes turned to Jasper and murmurs of agreement followed his statement.

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Clarke was exhausted. After their conversation last night, everyone went back to sleep, but she tossed and turned the rest of the night. Poor Bellamy was just as tired, because every time she moved, he'd wake up to see if she was okay. Clarke had so thoughts rolling around in her head that she couldn't stop them from keeping her awake. It was just before dawn when they gave up on sleep and decided to start their day. She spent the morning learning about healing plants and herbs from Niko, right up until lunch. She sent the healer off to eat and went to check on her patients.

"Heda! You haven't eaten yet, please, come sit down." Raven flagged her down as she walked by.

"I was just about to check in on Kane and his men, I can eat when I'm finished." Clarke smiled and tried to walk off.

"Heda, you need to eat, it's _important_. If Kane or any of his men were in serious need of you, they would have found you already. I promise that ten minutes won't make a difference."

Raven made it sound like she was worried about Clarke eating, but she could tell that Raven had another motive. She decided it would be better to hear her out now. She smiled and thanked Raven for her concern over her welfare as they headed off to get some food. Once served, Raven pulled her over to a spot, still visible to camp, but secluded enough to give them privacy. "Okay Raven, what's with all the subterfuge?"

"I was working with Wick today on the Comm system like you told me to. Unfortunately, Wick is pretty damn smart. It didn't take long for him to call me out on my bullshit. I made sure he knew that it was all me, and you knew nothing about it. I told him that I was loyal to Skaikru, and I wasn't going to fix their Comm system until I knew that the Ark wouldn't attack. He asked me why I thought they would, and I told him that for starters, they sent you all down to die. Then reminded him of everything that happened recently on the Ark from covering up the oxygen problem to the culling. I explained that because of all that, I had perfectly good reasons for my distrust."

"And what did he say to that?"

"He said that he didn't really trust the Chancellor or the Council anymore. He also told me that he wasn't even sure why Kane brought him along. Wick asked if he could speak with you tonight, he said, and I quote, 'I want to meet with your Heda, Bellamy, you, and anyone else that Heda trusts or wants there' I'm not sure what he wants to talk about, but I think we should meet with him. I worked with him on the Ark, he's a trustworthy guy." Raven shrugged one shoulder.

"Do you think it could be a trap?"

"No, but to be safe, I think we should meet in the drop ship. I'll tell him that you'll meet with him, but I'll go to his tent and lead him to the meeting place, that way he can't share the information. We can make sure to set up guards as a precaution."

"That works. Tell him that you'll come by once everyone else is asleep. They were all separated into their own tents this morning, so it should make it easier to sneak him out without Kane noticing."

"Got it." Raven leaned forward and placed her head in the heels of her hands "Now, on a different note, what the heck is going on between you and Bellamy?" She held a hand out "And before you try to deny it, we've all seen you coming out of his tent in the morning, _and_ we all saw him kiss you in front of the whole camp. Don't even pretend that you two aren't hooking up. Spill, I want details!"

Clarke blushed. She knew it would only be a matter of time before someone started questioning her, but she didn't think Raven would have been the one to corner her first. They were still new in their friendship after everything with Finn, and while she was quickly becoming a close friend, she would have placed money on Octavia bombarding her. "Raven, we haven't even figured it all out yet. I'm not sure what you want me to say. Yes, he kissed me, yes, I've been sleeping in his tent, but it started out as him just trying to make sure I slept!"

"I call bullshit, Clarke, we all see how you two look at one another. You may not be ready to admit it, but the two of you are meant to be. Everyone else could see it right from the get go. That's one of the reasons I was so shocked when I found out about you and Finn. You never had the same chemistry with him that you do with Bellamy."

"Raven…"

"No, Clarke, hear me out. Finn loved you, I don't doubt that, and I'm not even hurt over it anymore. It's just, I can't see _you_ with _him_, you know? You and Bellamy? You would do anything for each other, I mean _anything_. That kind of relationship just doesn't come along every day." She pinned her with a look, then grinned and waggled her eyebrows "So, spill!"

Clarke dissolved into giggles, and Raven joined in.

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"What do you think they're laughing about?" Monty jabbed his elbow into Jasper's side.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, they must think it's pretty funny, Clarke's holding her side, and Raven almost fell over."

"Think she told Clarke a dirty joke?" Monty's eyes darted over to Bellamy who was helping them make a list of supplies needed before the hunters and gathers headed out.

Bellamy shrugged "I have no idea, but they look happy, and that's something we could use some more of around here." He watched as Clarke wiped tears from her eyes as she said something to Raven. He loved it when Clarke laughed, the sound was like the tinkle of wind chimes and it made his soul sing. He wanted to march over there, lift her up, and carry her off to his tent where he could make love to her all over again.

Jasper nudged Monty and jerked his head towards Bellamy. They both smiled. Bellamy's face betrayed his feelings whenever he looked at Clarke. Everyone knew the two of them were in love, they were just waiting for them to figure it out themselves.

"Hey Monty, looks like dad is thinking dirty thoughts about mom. Should we go collect Raven and let them have some private time?"

Bellamy's head whipped around and he narrowed his eyes as both boys doubled over with laughter. "Shut up." He harrumphed.


	14. Chapter 14

***The last chapter didn't feel too great to me, but I needed all those little events to get me here. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update, it's been a crazy week! Thank you to all who have been reviewing, reviews help me know what you like and don't like. If there's something you would like to see, write it in the reviews! As always, I own nothing of the 100.

~Chapter 14~

"Okay Wick, we're all here. Mind telling us what this is all about?" Bellamy leaned against the wall behind Clarke's chair, crossing his arms. With everyone seated around one of the tables used for patients, he decided it would be best for him to stay standing where he could watch everyone.

"I've been chatting with Skaikru since we arrived, and I was able to piece together a good timeline of events since you've landed. I still can't believe they sent you all down here on a suicide mission. Let me state for the record, I'm happy that you all survived and we were able to follow you down, being on Earth is _awesome_, but I can't condone what the council did. I overheard Kane talking about your treaty with Abby over the comms, and with all the information I've gathered, I would like to talk to you about joining Skaikru."

"It's true, the Commander is giving you all two weeks from when you landed to make a decision. If you chose not to join Skaikru, that's okay, but you will need to make your own peace treaty with the Grounders. I haven't spoken to Kane about it yet, because I was waiting to see what their plan is, but if they chose not to follow me, they will have to make a treaty with Skaikru as well." She held up a hand to prevent anyone from interrupting "I am more than willing to keep the peace with them, this is for the benefit of both parties. If they make a treaty with the Grounders, it will look odd if they don't make one with us as well. I won't have it jeopardize what we've all worked so hard to achieve."

"That makes sense, but I wouldn't count on your mom agreeing. She was not too happy to hear about any of this. She was especially pissed when Kane told her that he was going to stay here for a few more days to learn more about the Grounders and Skaikru. She wanted to send a team to retrieve his team and to force you all to come to camp."

Octavia pounded on the table with her fist "She can't do that!" her head whipped sharply towards the head of the table "Clarke, you can't let her do that!"

Clarke laid a reassuring hand on Octavia's arm "Don't worry, I would never let that happen." She turned to Wick "I hate to be blunt, but before I say anything more, why do you want to join Skaikru?"

"It's no secret that the Council has made some pretty bad decisions in my lifetime. I'm impressed with what you've done here, and unlike the rest of the adults, I have no problem following orders of someone who's younger than me. I just care about their competencies, and you've proven to me to be a very competent leader." He leaned his elbows on the table and used his hands to emphasize his points "You were sent down here with no resources, no food, no medical supplies, no shelter, and no direction. You built an entire camp, you built weapons, you hunted, and you did all this while fighting Grounders and finding a way to make peace with them. That's just good politics. I'd feel much better following you than the Council. With them, everyone is expendable, but you all fight hard to protect and save every member of Skaikru, no matter what they bring to the table. That kind of loyalty from leadership is something I've never gotten to experience. I'm tired of the class separation from the Ark, and I'm ready for something new."

"I'd say those are all fair points." Raven nodded "What do you think Clarke?"

"Clarke, before you answer, I'm not the only one who wants to join Skaikru."

All heads turned to Wick. Bellamy was a bit skeptical, Wick seemed sincere, but there's always the possibility that this was a ploy to get information out of them, or a trap. He was going to keep a close eye on all the Arkers in camp from here on out, unless they pledge loyalty to Clarke. At least if they tried anything after their oath, they would be subject to punishment. "Who else are you talking about?"

"Smith. His wife was floated after she attacked a guard."

"And just because of that, he wants to join us?" Octavia raised an eyebrow.

"It wasn't under normal circumstances, he told me that I could explain so you would understand, but I beg of you not to ever tell this to anyone, or to speak to him about it." Everyone murmured their agreements "His wife was in the birthing section of medical, she had just delivered twins. You might not know this, but twins were as common in space as they were on the ground, but people couldn't have more than one child. Parents that had twins were warned from the get go that they could only keep one. When the guards came to collect the second child, she flipped out and attacked the guard, screaming that they couldn't float her baby. Smith had to watch as his wife and child were floated only hours later. There is no love for the Ark or the Council as far as he's concerned. He only kept it together for his son."

Octavia cried out and covered her mouth with her hand, Bellamy swore. "Atom. Damn it, he lost both his children anyway."

"Exactly. He figures if Atom could follow you, then he can as well."

"Does anyone else know about this?" Clarke had to know what she was dealing with in the morning.

"No, Sgt. Scott is loyal to Kane, everyone knows that, so there was no use asking him if he was interested in jumping ship, pun intended."

Raven rolled her eyes "Good green Earth, have you been practicing that one all day?"

"Don't be jealous Reyes." He winked at her, he loved verbally sparring with the younger mechanic.

"Wick, when do you plan to tell Kane?" They were quickly getting off track, and Octavia was tired, she just wanted to go curl up in bed with Lincoln.

"Well, that's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Both Smith and I are ready to pledge ourselves to you whenever it's convenient for you. The only thing we're worried about is retaliation from Kane and the others from the Ark."

"You don't need to worry about that. Skaikru takes care of their own. If the Ark tries to do anything about it, they will answer to our Heda, and the Grounders. Once you are a part of Skaikru, they can't retaliate without basically declaring war with us and the Grounders."

Clarke nodded gratefully at Octavia "It's true, once you are Skaikru, Kane can't do anything without risking his own people. We can do this two ways, you and Smith can come pledge yourselves tonight, or we can do it tomorrow. There are advantages to both. If you do it tonight, Kane can't stop you, it will already be done. If you do it publicly tomorrow, you will have all of Skaikru as witness, and it will send a message to Kane that you are under my protection. I think its best that you make the decision for yourselves, why don't you go wake up Smith, talk to him, and come back in ten minutes and let us know what you decide."

"I will. Thank you Clarke, I appreciate this." Wick stood up and walked out of the drop ship.

Lincoln dropped down silently from the second floor of the drop ship as Jasper, Monty, and Harper came out from their respective hiding places.

"I think that went well." Jasper was the first to speak.

"I think it's too early to know for sure, a lot of things can happen once we start getting Arkers joining Skaikru." Harper wringed her hands together.

"Harper's right, if there are those that don't want to join, like my mom, it could get ugly as they lose people. The Ark has always loved being in control, and this won't sit well to those who cling to the old ways. The facts are, I won't prevent anyone from joining Skaikru, just as I wouldn't force you all to join. Everyone should have the freedom to make their own choices. With that said, if anyone tries to harm anyone from our village, I will defend them." Clarke was vehemently opposed to war with the Ark, but she'd be damned if she let them try to tear apart all they've built here. They had sent the one hundred down to Earth, so they would have to find a way to live with the fall out.

Before they could say anything else, they heard footsteps on the door of the dropship. Harper, Monty, Jasper, and Lincoln quickly hid. Clarke was shocked to see Wick and Smith return so quickly, as he'd only been gone a few minutes.

"We've made a decision. We would like to pledge our loyalty now, and again tomorrow."

"Ummm…you only have to do it once Wick." Raven looked around, confusion mirrored on everyone's faces.

"We came up with a plan. Tomorrow we fix the comms first thing. We make it look like we are working hard to cooperate with the Ark. Then at dinner, Smith and I will publicly approach you to talk about joining Skaikru. We figure Kane will assume that we like the way you're handling the situation. We're hoping that this plan will help start things off on the right foot for other Arkers to join Skaikru."

"Then why pledge your loyalty tonight?" Bellamy was genuinely confused.

"Because we wanted to make sure you knew that we were serious about being a part of Skaikru and that our intentions with the comms were pure. We want to make sure we do this the right way."

Clarke nodded "Bellamy, get the pledge."

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"Abby, you can't just come in here with guns an expect Clarke to roll over! She will fight back, and the Grounders will follow." It had been five days since Wick and Smith became a part of Skaikru, to say that things had gotten tense with Camp Jaha, as they were calling it, would be a massive understatement.

"Marcus, we've already lost two of ours to her and to the other delinquents! I can't stand by idly while she plays dress up with the Grounders!"

"Abby, I get where you're coming from, but I promise that Clarke has things well in hand here. She's not a child anymore, she did a lot of growing up since we sent the 100 down. They all did."

"Marcus, don't tell me you support her in this."

Kane pinched the bridge of his nose, he understood where Abby was coming from, she was a mother worried about her only child. However, he'd been keeping track of the way Clarke and Bellamy were leading their people, and he was really quite proud of them. He was fascinated by the Grounders, and the way the operated. He enjoyed speaking to them, and learning about their history, Niko even started teaching him Trigedasleng. There was a lot that the Arkers could learn from them, he only wished that Abby could see it that way. "Listen, Clarke promised that in a few days, she would personally escort us back to camp with a security detail. You can see for yourself then."

"Fine, but if you're not back by the end of the week, I'm sending out a team. Goodnight Marcus."

"Goodnight Abby."

"She doesn't understand, she only ever sees her side of things. It was no different than when my dad tried to warn the Ark about the oxygen problem."

Kane lifted his head and stared intently at Clarke and Bellamy. "Don't worry Heda, she'll come around, and if she doesn't, well, that will be on her."

***Oooooooo! I didn't even mean for that last part to happen, I was actually planning on something completely different, but as I was writing, it just sort of happened! I hope you all like it! Next we'll check in with Jaha, and then find out what Finn is up to! Thank you for reading!


	15. Chapter 15

***Thank you all for reading! I think this chapter is going to be a lot of fun, I hope you all think so too! I'm taking a few liberties with Jaha's landing site and such, just wanted to give you a heads up. Please continue to review! I own nothing of the 100, but I still find reasons to be happy every day! *^.^*

~Chapter 15~

Thelonious woke to the steady sounds of water dripping, he sat up quickly, pressing his hand to his forehead. Everything hurt, especially his head. He pulled his hand away sharply and looked down at his gloved hand in confusion. Suddenly the last forty eight hours came back to him in a rush. He had used the missile to get back to Earth! He was alive! He laughed out loud, the sound so foreign to him in recent times that he didn't recognize it as his own at first. He doubled over and wiped the tears from his face. Once he could breathe again, he scrambled over to the door and pushed it open, a bright dawn greeting him as he stepped out into the sun. He closed his eyes, and felt the sun on his face for the first time. He stood there for a moment basking in the warmth before deftly shedding his space suit. He climbed back into the missile to grab the pack of supplies and stepped back out onto the lush green ground.

"I'm finally home." He took a deep breath of clean air, reveling in the way it tickled his nostrils, filling his lungs fully for the first time. He checked his comm, it stopped working on the Ark shortly after his last communication with Abby after she landed. He hoped to Earth it worked now. "Abby, this is Jaha, do you read me?"

He heard some static and adjusted his signal. "Abby, this is Jaha, do you read me?"

"Thelonious? Thelonious? Is that you?"

He laughed "Yes, Abby, it's me! What are your coordinates?"

"Thelonious, you're not thinking of doing anything crazy are you?"

"I already did Abby, I'll be on my way to you as soon as I have your location. I'm on the ground Abby, and it's just as beautiful as you said it was."

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Finn was sick and tired of Clarke and Bellamy making moon eyes at each other. He had given up everything for her, and he knew deep down she still loved him, she was just still upset about Raven and the Grounders. As soon as he could get them separated, she would see the truth and come back to him. He'd been covertly collecting extra supplies for his trip. He'd been listening to Kane's communications with Abby, and he knew that she didn't approve of this situation. It was one thing they had in common. That and their unwavering love for Clarke. He knew he could convince Abby to help him, he just needed to get there before they did. He slipped out while everyone else was still sleeping and headed into the woods. He would get Clarke back, even if it meant defying her.

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Clarke and Bellamy stood at the gates with Nyko, Tamra, Kias, and the rest of the Grounders as they were preparing to return to their villages for the next week. They had families and jobs to attend to at home and could only spend so much time helping Skaikru prepare for winter. They had already made a decent dent in her 'to do' list, and they now had the training and skills to continue until their new found friends were able to return. Nyko reached out his arm to Clarke and she grasped it tightly.

"Mochof ai friend. I hope you have safe travels."

"Mochof. I must admit, I was nervous about my Commanders orders, but I am glad that we were able to work with you. I have learned much about your people and I hope you were able to learn about ours in return."

"I have, Nyko. I loved listening to your stories around the campfire and in the medical tent. I hope to see you again soon. My people have a saying when we part, it is a piece of an old prayer that has been passed down since our ancestors went into space. 'May we meet again.' It's a prayer for safe travels and returns. May we meet again, Nyko."

"May we meet again, Clarke, Heda Kom Skaikru." Nyko gave her a short bow of his head in respect before turning around and giving the signal to depart. Skaikru stood behind their Heda waving off their friends until they disappeared into the woods.

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"Heda, I hate to interrupt, but we have a problem."

Clarke looked up, thread and needle still in her hand. She was stitching up a nasty gash on Lincoln's arm. Last night he slipped and fell down a steep incline while on reconnaissance on Mount Weather. The storms had been treacherous, but Lincoln and Octavia insisted on using the rain as an opportunity to get into Mount Weather to gain more information. They spent the nighttime hours making lists of inventory and marking off rooms as they went along on a map they found in one of the offices. After a night of torrential downpour, the ground had turned boggy, and getting back to the village was difficult to say the least. She would have gotten around to stitching him up sooner, but Lincoln hadn't come to her until after the Grounders had left camp. He probably wouldn't have come at all, but Octavia was a force to be reckoned with.

"I can come back later." Lincoln stirred.

"No, please, I can wait. I didn't know you were in here." Kane held out a hand and gestured to the table where Lincoln was laying "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Clarke assessed the situation, Kane was one of the newest members of Skaikru. He asked to join the day before. After hearing him out, she knew this was the right place for him, but she wasn't sure how everyone else would receive him, or how her mother would react once she found out. "Thank you Marcus, could you pass Lincoln that cup of tea? I need him to drink it all down to help avoid infection."

Clarke waited for Lincoln to finish the tea, then she quickly stitched and bandaged the wound. She gave Lincoln a stern look "I want you to take it easy today, no working with weapons, you could pull your stitches, and I don't want to deal with Octavia if you get hurt again."

Lincoln smiled at Clarke, she was like an overprotective mother. Keeping her people happy and in good health was her number one priority, she made a great commander. "Yes, Heda, I will find something else to do today." Like many of her closest friends, he'd been asked to call her Clarke, but with Kane there, he felt better referring her to by her title. Clarke must have caught something in his eyes because she nodded in understanding as he stood to leave.

"I think after last night, you and O deserve a day of rest. Why don't you two go spend some time at the river, I'm sure a _bath_ would feel nice right about now. Just be careful not to get your bandage wet." Clarke winked and a second later she saw Lincoln's smirk as he gave her a short bow before heading off, no doubt to find Octavia so they could go to the hot springs for some much needed alone time. She turned to Marcus. "So, before we get to the problem at hand, have you had lunch yet?"

"No, I came straight here, this is more important."

"I appreciate your concern, but I haven't had lunch, and I know Bellamy hasn't either since he's standing guard outside. Why don't the three of us grab some food, and we can sit down together to hash this out?"

He nodded "Of course."

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As soon as they were seated, Kane took a look at Clarke and Bellamy, the two of them in sync with everything they did. They were like magnets, when one moved, the other moved as well. They communicated mostly through body language. He had that once, then gave it away so he could have power, not even realizing that he was losing his soul in the process.

Kane pulled in a deep breath "Heda, Jaha is alive."

"He is? How has he managed to survive? He should have run out of air by now." Clarke was both happy and sad, Thelonious was like a second father to her growing up. Even after she'd been placed in the Skybox, she could never bring herself to hate him. She was saddened knowing that he only had a limited time left, and he was all alone. She wished the comms were working so she could talk to him one last time.

"He risked riding a missile down to Earth. He figured he was going to die anyway, why not give it a shot? His comms were down so he couldn't confer with us ahead of time. He landed at some point within the last couple of days, but was unconscious from the landing. Jaha woke up this morning and was able to contact your mother, he's about a four days walk from the Ark landing, so a team is being sent to meet him half way and to bring him back."

Clarke's mind reeled, thoughts were flying through her head "Okay, we were planning on leaving within the next two days anyway. It's a two day walk from here to the Ark, but if we leave first thing tomorrow morning, we should be able to get there before he does. It will be hard enough dealing with my mother, I don't need Jaha interfering as well. He has a lot of influence, and I don't want him thinking he can try to take over." Clarke looked over to Bellamy "Can we be ready to leave before sunrise?"

"We should have no troubles leaving that early. There is still hours to go before sunset, so I'll send out another gathering party to get extra rations for the trip, and we can hunt along the way. I just have one question before we go." He turned to Kane "Why did you join Skaikru? Clarke told me that she accepted your reason, and accepted your wish for privacy, but if you want _me_ to trust you, you're going to have to trust me in return. I need to know if I can trust you to have our backs on this trip."

Clarke watched sympathetically as Kane's eye widened in fear, vulnerability written all over his face. "Marcus, it's time, you need to tell him."

"H-how did you know?"

"It wasn't hard to figure it out. Once you told me, it was plain as day. I haven't said anything, but I think it's long overdue. I'll give you two some privacy, I'll be over in medical if you need me." She started to stand when a hand stopped her.

"Please, stay, I think it will be better if you both hear the full story." Marcus waited until she sat back down, he risked a glance at Bellamy, whose face gave away nothing, but his eyes were another matter altogether. He wanted to know what was going on, and his protective shields were up. "You want to know why I wanted to be a part of Skaikru? It wasn't just because you are doing a better job of leading then we ever did, that was just a bonus. No, I joined to be with my children."

"Your children? You're single, and there are no other siblings besides me and Octav…." Bellamy's mouth fell open and his shoulders rose and slumped as he took a deep breath and let it out on a whoosh. He reached for Clarke's hand and squeezed it tight.

"It was a long time ago. I was just a lowly Cadet when I fell in love. She was beautiful, more beautiful than anyone I had ever seen. We kept our relationship a secret because her parents would never approve of the match. They had their hopes set on a much higher personage. I worked hard to move up in the ranks, while she worked hard at dodging her mother's attempts to wed her off to the highest bidder. When I was a high ranking officer in the guard, I heard a rumor that they were considering me as a candidate for a council position. Her parents approached me, and told me they knew all about us. If I would let go of their daughter, they would make sure I got a seat on the Council. If I refused, they would make sure I got demoted, and I'd never be allowed to see their daughter again. I let the power go to my head. I should have fought back. I should have chosen her. We could have found a way, but I was weak. I broke things off and sure enough, I was appointed as a member of the Council. It wasn't until much later that I knocked on her door, begging her for forgiveness. I missed her so much, and it wasn't worth losing her. She told me that she recently delivered a child and she wanted nothing to do with me. She made me promise to stay away from her and our child. She said I would only make things harder for her. I stayed away, but I always found ways to make sure she had what she needed. I did what I thought was best at the time, but looking back, I know I messed up in a thousand different ways. I have mourned her every single day. I tried to look out for my son as best I could, but we all know how that ended up." He looked down in shame.

"Octavia….did you…did you know about Octavia?" Bellamy's voice was weak, his breathing labored.

"No. I also don't know who fathered her, but she's your sister, which as far as I'm concerned makes her mine now. I've watched you grow up from afar, never able to get closer because of a promise I made to Aurora. I refuse to be separated from you again. I know I can never make up the lost time, and I don't expect you to forgive me, I just ask that you allow me to stay, to learn more about the man you've become and the woman that Octavia is growing up to be."

Bellamy's eyes teared up and his fist tightened on the table. "My mother used to tell me stories about my father. She wouldn't tell me his name, no matter how much I begged, just that she had to give him up to protect him. My grandparents were monsters, they never came to visit, and they cut her off without any thought to what that would do to us. She said that my dad was very important to the survival of the Ark and that she would always love him. We couldn't discuss him because it would put everyone in danger. I begged and begged to meet him, but she said I couldn't because if we met, he would die. She told me that he used to bring her little trinkets he found in the old storage areas, bits of metal that he would twist and shape into tiny works of art. We had them all over our housing unit." He took a deep shuttering breath "I want to hate you, I want to hate her, but I can't. I don't pretend to understand why the two of you made the decisions you did, but if you hadn't, I might not be here right now, like this. I wouldn't be the person I am today, and Octavia might not ever have been born. I wouldn't trade her for the world. I just wish I could have known you, I wish I could have known my dad."

Kane's face fell, he broke off on a sob and covered his face with one hand. Clarke reached out and grabbed his hand, while still holding on to Bellamy's. She gave them both a moment to grieve, she couldn't begin to imagine the pain they both must feel, but she felt like this could be a fresh start for the both of them. Family was important, especially down on the ground, where you never knew what could happen next. If there was one thing Earth had taught her, is that you can never be sure that today won't be your last day. It's one of the reasons she allowed herself to fall so quickly for Bellamy. It's also the reason she let Marcus become Skaikru. She refused to deny him the chance to spend time with his children, not when there was an easy solution. "This is a lot of information to take in at once, is there anything I can do for either of you?"

Marcus just shook his head, still unable to speak, the emotions clogging up his throat. Bellamy released her hand and wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent. "Thank you Princess, thank you for everything."


	16. Chapter 16

***I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update the story, we took a family vacation for eight days and I'm still on vacation hangover. This chapter is going to be hard, lots of drama, but it can't be helped! I love you all. Thank you for staying with me and leaving reviews! I don't own anything of the 100, just this crazy Bellarke story!

_Ai hodnes = My love_

~Chapter 16~

Abby put the comm down and stretched out her neck. She needed to prepare, Kane said they were headed back to camp in the morning. It would take them two days, but she would finally get to see Clarke again! There was so much to do, she needed to make sure they had enough food, and she needed to find a place to house them all. If she could convince Clarke to stay at Arkadia, she knew she could get the rest of the 100 to come home as well.

"Abby, they are calling for you at the gates, one of the 100 made it here to camp and said he will only speak to you."

"Maybe he has news about Clarke, Thank you Jackson!" She squeezed his arm as she walked out of the med lab. She made mental plans to send out a team to gather more food, along with scheduling a debriefing for the search party that should be arriving back at camp by nightfall. She only had a few days left before Jaha and Kane were back, and she needed to prepare everyone for an election. Walking out into the sun, she shielded her eyes and looked towards the gate, a young man stood there talking with one of the guardsmen. She jogged over. "Hello, I'm Abby, I hear you want to speak to me?"

"Yes, my name is Finn Collins, I need your help."

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"Hey, Clarke, have you seen Finn?"

It was nighttime and everyone was relaxing around the campfire. Clarke was waiting for Bellamy to return, he walked off a few minutes ago to grab them some food and something to drink. They'd been so busy preparing for their trip in the morning, they missed dinner. They spent hours planning everything down to the last detail. She was worried about her people, but she knew they had friends that they could trust to keep things running smoothly while they were gone.

"I'm sorry Raven, I haven't seen him since this morning. Maybe he went out with one of the hunting parties? They were gone most of the day."

"Yeah, I thought that too, but the last group just came in, and they said Finn wasn't with them. I've searched all over camp, but he isn't here."

Clarke scrunched her face and thought, she couldn't imagine he would just wander off without telling anyone. It wasn't like Finn to do stuff like that. "Did you check your tent as well? Maybe he's waiting for you there."

"I glanced in there earlier, but I can double check."

"I'll go with you." Clarke stood and searched around the fire until she saw her friend two logs over laughing with Jasper. "Hey O? Can you let Bel know that I'm going to Raven's tent for a minute and I'll be right back?"

"Sure thing!"

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Clarke looked around at Raven's empty tent. She thought for sure he would be somewhere around camp, they even did a quick sweep on their way just to check. She could tell that Raven was worried because she dragged her hands over her face and huffed out a deep breath.

"I don't understand! Where the hell could he be?"

Raven walked over to her bed and sat down, as that's when she noticed a small piece of paper sticking out from under her pillow. "This is odd" She reached under and pulled out a folded note with her name on the front. Her blood ran cold, she would recognize that handwriting anywhere. Clarke came and sat next to her. A part of her wanted to read this alone, but an even bigger part knew that there was no one she would rather have with her right now than Clarke. They had become close friends, and she knew that whatever the letter contained, Clarke would be there for her. She looked up into her friend's clear blue eyes, steadying her and keeping her from falling apart.

"Do you want me to stay or to go?"

"Please stay." Raven replied brokenly. It had to be a goodbye letter, she just knew it. Somehow deep down, she knew this day would come. She knew from the day she met him that he would break her heart someday. She took a deep breath and opened the letter. She quickly went from sad to furious.

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Bellamy was swapping stories with Lincoln when he heard Raven's war cry. Everyone stood up, grabbed the nearest weapon and waited for him to give them the command to fight. He strode over towards Raven's tent as both Raven and Clarke came rushing out. Clarke was obviously trying to calm Raven down without success. As soon as Clarke saw her people lined up behind him ready to fight, she stopped and held her hands up.

"Skaikru, chil yo daun! I need my advisors to meet in the drop ship immediately! Someone find Kane and send him to me as well. The rest of you, go back to whatever you were doing, we are all safe. I will explain all as soon as we are finished, I promise."

Clarke grabbed Raven's hand and dragged her to the dropship, Bellamy following at a close pace. He saw the rest of the advisors following along. They all walked into the dropship and Bellamy placed two guards outside the doors to keep everyone out. Once Kane walked in, he climbed the ladder to the second floor which was temporarily being used as their meeting space until a proper building could be built. He glanced around the table at his friends as he sat down next to Clarke, his eyes finally resting on her.

"I'm sorry to pull you from your evening, but this is important. Raven?"

Raven stood tall, a true warrior, but Bellamy could tell that she felt betrayed by whatever caused this latest upheaval. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears and her chin quivered slightly. She took a deep breath and held up a piece of paper.

"Finn is a traitor. He pledged his fealty to Skaikru and to our Heda, but this morning he left for the Ark. He plans to ask them for help in taking over Skaikru again, and having us return to the Ark and the Council."

Chaos reigned around the small space. Clarke quietly stood and everyone became silent. "I understand your frustrations, but please remember that Raven is our friend and it took a lot for her to bring this to us. Finn hasn't been in his right mind for a while now, he probably believes in what he is doing."

Octavia stood and braced her hands on the table. "So what? We just let him go? We do nothing?"

Bellamy folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. "O, sit down. You have to let her finish."

She shook her head furiously. "Bel, we can't go back, we can't go back to the way things were. I won't go back."

Clarke knew what Octavia was really worried about. "Octavia, it's okay, I brought you all in here to discuss our next move. Kane, Bellamy, Jasper, Monty, Scott, Harper, Miller, and I will all head out in the morning as planned. Finn is alone, so he can move at a faster pace. Assuming he left before we all woke up for the day, there is a good chance he is close to the Ark. We need to find a way to figure out what Finn has implemented. Marcus, do you have anyone you trust to give you info from the Ark?"

"Yes," he paused and gave her a pointed look "and so do you."

It took only a second for Clarke to realize who Kane was talking about. "Jackson."

"But doesn't Jackson work for your mom?"

"Yes, Raven, he does, but I spent a lot of time with him when I was interning in the medical lab. We became close, he loves my mom like a sister, but he hates the council. He is a peace maker and the rules of the Ark were always too strict for his liking. I know he'll help us. How do we communicate with him?"

"Abby leaves her comm with him at night. It's his job to wake her if there are any emergencies. I have nightly check ins with her after dinner each night, and she hands the Comm over to Jackson after that. I know, because I usually chat with him a bit when I'm done with Abby." He glanced around the table to explain "Jackson is my cousin by marriage. His Uncle and my Aunt were married, and we grew up together."

"Okay, see if you can reach him, try to get as many details as possible. I also need someone to send a message to Lexa for me, we want to be upfront and keep her in the loop. Octavia, Lincoln, I want this village protected while we are gone, I'm trusting our people to you. Once we have more information from Jackson, we can formulate a plan.

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"I don't feel right letting them go off without us there to protect them."

Lincoln watched as Octavia paced back and forth across the small space. He couldn't wait until their new home was completed. Clarke had insisted on homes for all of her people before her. The younger members of Skaikru were first, then it went by need. Those with severe or permanent injuries were first on the list, then couples, the hunters, warriors, her advisors, then her and Bellamy last. He didn't mind waiting, he agreed with her reasoning, but he was used to more space. Even his cave was three times the size of his dwellings now.

"Octavia, she is trusting us to keep all of our people safe, she has protection. Do you doubt Bellamy's abilities? He is a good warrior, he trains every day. He is dedicated to keeping Clarke safe. You needn't worry."

"I know, but that doesn't make me worry any less. He's all the family I've had for years, it would kill me if anything happened to him, and it would kill him if anything happened to Clarke."

"Ai hodnes, come, sit." He waited until she was sitting right next to him, he turned and cradled her face in his hands. "They will have plenty of protection, Clarke agreed to take a few extra warriors with her. Clarke and Bellamy can't be worrying about their people while they are gone, so I need you to focus on our task. We will keep contact with them through the radio that Raven was able to put together, and we will continue to build and train. Everything will be okay."

"I know, but I can't help but worry about them, they are our leaders, but more importantly, they are family. When we first landed, Clarke was the only one that pushed back against Bellamy's hovering. She made sure he understood that I'm a grown woman, and didn't need him to protect me unless it was actually needed. If it wasn't for her, I would never get to be here with you. She is the sister of my heart."

He leaned in and kissed her. "I know, they are my family too."

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Raven threw her knife at the target, it missed the bullseye by an inch. "Damn it!" She stomped over and ripped it out. As she turned back she saw Wick step out from behind on of the trees. "What do you want?"

Wick leaned against the tree and crossed his arms. He didn't take offense at her snippy tone, he knew she was pissed, and he didn't blame her in the least. "I come in peace. I just wanted to check on you Reyes."

"Well I'm just dandy."

He watched as she lined up her shot and threw the knife, it landed even further away from the middle than last time. She let out a frustrated sound and went to retrieve it. He waited until she was walking back before he stepped over to where she had been standing. "You need to relax, you're so angry, that you're overcompensating your force. Let me see it." He held out his hand and waited.

She flipped the knife in the air, caught it by the blade, and placed the handle in his hand. "And when did you have time to pick up knife throwing on the Ark?"

"I didn't, but I've been learning how. I'm not very good, but I'm working on it." He aimed, took a deep breath, and released it as the knife flew through the air. It landed just to the left of her first throw.

"Not too bad Wick, maybe you should take up hunting since you seem to be better at this than being an engineer."

"But then you wouldn't have anyone around to pester." He walked to the target and pulled out the knife, it was pretty well balanced all things considered. "I know you. This is eating you up more than you would like to admit."

"And what would you know about it? I'm just blowing off some steam."

"Is that why you're out here, throwing knives in the dark? If so, I know some better ways you can blow off steam."

"You're a pig!" She shoved him.

He laughed and threw his hands up in surrender. "You got me all wrong Reyes, I meant by sleeping, or mapping out the stars." He gestured to himself "I know you're attracted to all this awesomeness, but get your mind out of the parts bin."

"Whatever Wick, you're disgusting."

"Disgustingly handsome you mean. Admit it Reyes, I'm a hottie." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Wick hated seeing her this way, all worked up over a boy. She was a smart and beautiful woman, much too good for a drifter like Finn. He did decent in school, but didn't take on an internship on the Ark like most students his age. Then, from what he gathered, Finn flitted from one girl to the next after landing on Earth and cheated on Raven with Clarke, while keeping Raven a secret from everyone else on the ground. What kind of man does that to the woman he claims to love? In his opinion Finn wasn't a man, he was a little boy trying to fit in big boy clothes.

She looked him up and down. He really was a good looking man, but she wouldn't inflate his ego even more than it already was, by admitting it. "You pass muster, but I wouldn't go so far as to say you're a 'hottie'. Just above average, maybe, but that's about it."

"I'll tell you what, you blow off a little steam with me, then when we're done, try telling me that again."

Raven laughed out loud "You're cute, but you couldn't handle what I have to offer."

Wick decided it was worth the risk. After all, what did he have to lose? He leaned down, stuck her knife in the ground, stood up and saw her cock her head to the side in query. He didn't give her the chance to think it through to its inevitable conclusion.

Before she knew it, he had grabbed her, spun her around, and had her pinned against the tree. Wick smiled right before he descended upon her. Lips clashed in a heated frenzy, his hands roamed her hips as hers tangled in his hair. One of his knees separated her legs and he pressed himself fully against her. He grabbed her thighs and lifted them up to wrap around his torso. She held on for all she was worth. The only thought running through her head was '_damn, the man can kiss_.'

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It was late and Clarke was getting sleepy. They had to wait up for Jackson to contact them on a secure channel. Claiming a male malady in case Abby was around, Kane was able to get Jackson to speak with him in private. Once alone, Marcus asked if he would contact them after everyone went to bed about a situation that he needed help with. He only told him that it would involve matters of the Phoenix, which Clarke later learned was a passcode between the two of them. It was a part of a group rebellion that had been working towards fixing the social class issues and politics on the Ark. Marcus explained that they had been working to remove Thelonious from power, so they could try to redistribute power amongst the people rather than the façade of a democracy that they currently had. There were a few select families that always held power, they moved around on the Council, but they were always there. People outside of those families had very few chances at ever getting on the Council. Not unless someone on the inside pulled some strings. He knew that better than anyone. There was a small group of people secretly working against the Council, Marcus and Jackson were a part of that group. All this made Clarke feel even more secure in the decision to allow Marcus to become Skaikru.

"Kane, are you there?"

Marcus looked at her then pressed the comm. "Marcus here, is the Phoenix rising?"

"Out of the ashes."

"The line is secure." He pressed the button "Jackson, I have Clarke and Bellamy here. We have a situation on our hands. One of Skaikru left with the goal of getting Abby to help him tear apart Skaikru. His name is Finn, has he arrived?"

"He got here earlier this evening. Abby spoke with him, he wants her to convince Clarke to come back to the Ark. Since Abby also wants that, she grilled him for any information he could give on Skaikru. He had a lot to say."

"Jackson, do you know what my mother plans to do with the information he gave her?"

"Hi, Clarke. It's good to hear your voice again! Finn made it sound like you are all having a hard time surviving. Much of what he told Abby didn't ring true with my conversations with Marcus, so I kept my mouth shut and planned on approaching you with what I learned. Her plan is simple, get you to come in, then keep you here by force until you surrender."

"Did she forget to account for the Grounders?"

"No, Finn said that he was sure something could be negotiated with them once she gained control over the 100 again."

Marcus looked up at Clarke "Heda, I think we should ask Jackson where he stands. I don't want to put him in danger without him knowing the risks involved."

"I agree." She reached for the comm "Jackson, this could turn into a dangerous situation. It might be best if we leave it here, Skaikru will come up with a plan. We want you to stay safe, I refuse to put you into a hazardous situation if it can be avoided. Above all else, you have always been an important person in my life. I can't afford to lose you too."

"Clarke, Abby is like a sister to me, I love her dearly, but she doesn't always see things clearly. It's like she has blinders on, especially when it comes to you. I'm assuming that Marcus has told you about Phoenix, I've always been against the Council and their doings. Marcus told me that he has become a member of Skaikru, and why. I wanted to leave, to come find you all, but Abby has forbidden anyone from leaving camp unless they are on one of the teams. She placed an electric fence around the perimeter, along with guard stations. There are parents who want to come find their children. There is a group of us that are tired of this life. We thought the ground would be a fresh start, but instead we are trapped. The world is out there, and we want to see it. If you are willing to take us, we will join you, just as soon as we find a way out."

Clarke looked at Bellamy, she could tell by his stance that he was ready to go to war to get them out. She raised an eyebrow and he nodded in response. She was amazed at how quickly they learned how to communicate without words. "Okay, Jackson. I'll talk to Raven and Wick about the fence. I need you to speak to the others. Keep things quiet, but start gathering your things, we're coming to get you."


	17. Chapter 17

***Thank you Rissatregar for your encouragement! I'm on a roll and it's all thanks to you. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

~Chapter 17~

Clarke woke up long before the sun. She only got a few hours of sleep because her brain was running a mile a minute. She gave Lexa a lot of credit because being Heda was hard work, and she couldn't imagine having to be in charge of multiple clans. She eased up on one elbow and looked down at the peaceful face of her Rebel King. His hair curled softly over his forehead and her fingers itched to get tangled up in its softness, but he needed all the sleep he could get. She refused to wake him before it was necessary. She quietly slipped out of bed and stretched out her sore body. Her back had been hurting lately, so Bellamy was in the process of building a new bed for the two of them. She walked over to the corner of the tent where a makeshift bathroom had been set up. She finished her morning ablutions and picked out her clothes for the day. She settled on a nice pair of darkened deer skin pants, a long sleeved blue shirt, and a black tunic vest corseted up the front, given to her by a girl named Shaykre from Trikru.

"Princess, what are you doing out of bed?"

She turned to see Bellamy sprawled out on the bed looking like one of the Greek Gods that he was always telling her stories about. She finished lacing up her vest and sat down next to him on the bed. "I couldn't sleep anymore. I promise I won't leave the tent, so you can go back to bed." She gave into her urge and ran her fingers through his hair and down the side of his face. He caught her hand and pressed a kiss onto her wrist.

"I can't sleep while you're not, I've gotten used to you in bed with me. If you're gone longer than a few minutes, my body wakes me up because it misses you." He intertwined their fingers and pulled her down for a kiss. He deftly flipped her over and pressed his hips into hers. "Plus, you can't expect me to resist untying this." Bellamy ran his hand lightly over the front of her laces, tugging at the ends while trailing kisses along her jawline.

"Bel, I just got dressed!"

"I know, Princess, but it's much too early to be awake. Plus, I know this trip is going to be difficult for you. Might as well start on a happy note, right?"

Clarke's laugh turned into a moan as his hands reached under her shirt to squeeze her nipples. He kissed down her neck and licked along her collarbone. He loved the little sounds she made, and the way she looked with her back arched and her head thrown back. Bellamy made quick work of removing both of their clothes, then settled down beside her. He slowly pushed two fingers into her while stimulating her sex with his thumb. He knew she was getting close when he pushed in a third finger and her eyes rolled back into her head. "Princess, look at me. I want to see you as you come." Blue met brown and she tumbled over the edge. He rose up over her, entered with one hard thrust, and swallowed her gasp of pleasure with a kiss.

He made her come two more times before he followed her into the sky, their souls dancing among the stars. As they floated back down to Earth, he kissed her on the forehead and rolled over, pulling her with him. They stayed like that, just listening to each other breathe until the sun began its ascent into the sky. Reluctantly, they rose and got ready for the day. As she was preparing to leave, Bellamy grabbed her hand, raised it to his lips, and placed a gentlemanly kiss above her knuckles. "I love you, Princess, don't ever forget it."

She smiled. "I love you too."

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They were finishing their breakfast when there was a commotion at the gate. Bellamy and Clarke walked over with Marcus, Octavia, and Lincoln behind them. Clarke ran over as Indra and three other warriors dismounted from their horses. She greeted them warmly.

"Good morning! Is everything okay Indra? We weren't expecting you back for another week or so."

"Good morning Heda kom Skaikru. Your message arrived yesterday just after our evening meal. The Commander has gifted you with horses for your travels."

"That was very kind of her, please tell her thank you, it will make our trip much faster. I will make sure they are returned as soon as we get back from this mission."

"You misunderstand, she wants Skaikru to have these. There are three females and three males. You should be able to breed them to have more for your village. Heda also sends a message, she will be here when you return. She needs to speak with you about an urgent matter, we have received word that the Ice Nation is moving against Skaikru and the Commander. When do you think you will be back?"

"With these horses, we should be able to return by tomorrow morning at the latest. Due to the urgency, I'm sure we can travel by night if it becomes necessary."

Indra turned and nodded to one of the men, he gave a quick nod in return and then headed out towards the woods. "My man will give the message to Heda. We have warriors traversing the woods, headed towards the Ark. They will keep out of sight, and will not engage unless needed. These are by my Heda's orders. We will accompany you as well. The Commander does not trust these people and the spirits of the Commanders have spoken, urging her to protect you. It seems you have caught their favor."

"We would be glad of your company, Indra. We will leave momentarily." Clarke turned to Octavia and Lincoln "O, would you please make sure we have accommodations set up for our guests. I assume Lexa will bring an entourage. Thanks to her generous gift, we won't be gone as long as anticipated."

Octavia nodded and Lincoln held out a folded piece of paper. "This is a map of the area, I marked off locations of places to hunt and gather. I also marked off a few spots along the path where some of the more rare medicinal plants are located. I included a few drawings so you would know what you're looking for."

Clarke took the map with a smile. "Thank you Lincoln, I appreciate this very much, it will be very helpful to our people. May we meet again."

"May we meet again."

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"Heda, my men are in place. What are your commands?"

Clarke glanced down at Indra from her perch in the trees. She could see 'Camp Jaha', written above the entrance, guards posted along the massive fence line. She quickly scrambled down, and looked to Bellamy. At his nod, she explained the details of the plan. Indra had a few suggestions which fit in nicely, so they adjusted as necessary. Once everyone was in place, Clarke stepped out of the woods with Bellamy at her side. As they drew closer and closer, memories of her mother and the Ark flashed through her mind at the speed of light. She tried to push them to the back of her mind so her emotions wouldn't cloud her judgement, needing to stay strong and in control. When they were a few dozen yards from the gate, they stopped. The guards had already sent up a shout that they were there and the fence was lined with Arkers, curious to see what was happening.

"I see your mom and Finn. You got this Princess."

Clarke took a deep breath "Its show time."

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"Taylor, why haven't you opened the gates?"

"I'm sorry Chancellor, I was waiting until they came closer, but they stopped a few minutes ago and haven't moved since."

Abby looked out towards her daughter. Sure enough, Clarke and Bellamy were standing. Not talking, not moving, just standing and staring at their camp. Just as she was about to call out, Clarke lifted a bow and shot an arrow that landed near the gate. She held up a hand for her men to stand down. When Abby glanced out, she noticed Clarke pointing to the arrow.

"Open the gate!" Once she could fit through, Abby stepped quickly, ripping the arrow from the ground and retreating behind the walls of Camp Jaha. She carefully unwrapped the parchment from the arrow shaft and read the contents.

"What does it say? Why won't she come in?" Finn reached for the paper, but Abby pulled it back before he could grab it.

"She says she wants to speak with the two of us alone. No weapons, no guards."

"Chancellor, I don't think that's a good idea, what if they're armed? She just shot an arrow for goodness sakes"

"Taylor, it's my daughter. She won't hurt me. We're to meet her where she stands, I doubt she wants anything other than to talk." She walked out of the gates, Finn beside her.

Finn leaned in close "If she won't come in, how can we get her to stay?"

"Leave that to me."

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"That's close enough, drop any weapons you have." Bellamy wasn't taking any chances, he stopped them a few yards away and stepped over once their hands were in the air. He checked them quickly and found nothing. He stood in front of them, blocking their access to Clarke until he felt her step out beside him.

"Hello, Chancellor. Thank you for agreeing to my terms of meeting."

"What choice did you leave me? I've been wanting to see you since I landed. Why don't you come in and we'll talk over a nice meal. I had our chef make a delicious banquet to celebrate your arrival."

Her mother was all smiles, but Clarke could see right through it. This unexpected change of plans had Abby rattled, and she was trying to work with what she had. "Thank you, but no. We are here to return one of your men, and to negotiate a term of surrender with Finn."

"Finn? Clarke, what are you talking about?"

"Chancellor, he violated an oath of loyalty to Skaikru and myself. As a traitor, he is subject to punishment under my rule as Heda Kom Skaikru."

"Clarke…" Finn stepped closer and reached for Clarke's arm.

Bellamy was faster and knocked him flat on his ass. "I told you before, she is Heda to you. Do _not_ touch her without permission."

"I wouldn't recommend getting back up either, he'll just knock you down again." Clarke dismissed Finn with a look, then turned back to her mother "Finn is to return with us to stand trial for his crimes. I am also here to remind you of the terms set by the Grounder Commander. You have two weeks from the day you landed to join Skaikru. I know Marcus already spoke with you about this, but as Heda, I felt it was necessary to reiterate it myself in person, so there is no misunderstanding."

"And if I refuse these terms?"

"If you choose not to join Skaikru, you will need to negotiate your own peace treaty with the Twelve Clans, and one with Skaikru. You will have free reign over your landing site while you negotiate, but if anyone other than you or your chosen delegates leave Camp Jaha, they will be considered a threat, and it could cause a war. I highly suggest you speak with your people to decide what you want to do. Time is running out."

"Clarke, these are your people too, you can't just turn your back on them!"

Clarke straightened "Chancellor, they stopped being my people when you sent us down here to die."

"And Finn? What will become of him?"

"That is really none of your concern." She turned and held a fist in the air. Sgt. Scott stepped out of the woods and walked towards Camp Jaha. He waved to Clarke and Bellamy, and they smiled and waved back.

Abby watched hesitantly "Where are the others? What's going on?"

Clarke held out her hand to Bellamy, he passed her the comm. "Marcus, could you join us for a moment?" She waited for the prearranged click "I think it's best if you speak to him yourself. In the meanwhile, I would like to ask you to release my people. There are a number of Skaikru currently at Camp Jaha, they radioed, and said you refuse to let anyone leave camp."

"What are you talking about? I don't have any of your people here."

Clarke took a little bit of satisfaction in knowing that her mother was genuinely confused. She wanted Abby off her game, it would make it much easier to for Jackson to get everyone out if it came down to it. "Thirty six people gave their pledge to me last night over the Comm system. They're tired of being treated like prisoners when they haven't done anything wrong. Some of them just want to reunite with their families. I offered them that chance. I have returned your man, and now I'm asking you to return the favor."

Abby couldn't believe this turn of events, how dare Clarke? "I can't believe you think I would keep my people as prisoners against their will! I was acting in their best interests. If they left camp, it could get them killed. You can't tell me that you just let your people leave whenever they want."

"Actually, Abby, she does." Marcus came to a stop next to Clarke "All members of Skaikru ask permission to leave as a curtesy. This way their whereabouts are documented, so if they go missing, we know when they left, and we can send out a proper search party. While we have nothing to fear from the Grounders, there are other dangers out there. The system benefits all."

Abby decided to abandon that track, it was getting her nowhere. "Kane, it's good to see you, why don't we all go inside, they've prepared a great meal for us, and you can debrief me."

"Marcus, I think it's best if you explain the situation to the Chancellor, she seems to be struggling to understand." Abby didn't know why Clarke kept referring to her as 'Chancellor'. It was borderline rudeness. How the heck was she going to get Clarke within the camp walls if she refused to see reason?

"Of course, Heda." Abby's head snapped back to Kane. What? It only took a moment for her to process the new information.

"Kane, you're Skaikru? When did this happen?"

"Abby, it didn't take long for me to see that Skaikru was the type of community we were trying to build on the Ark. If you would just come, see it for yourself, listen to what everyone in Eos has to say, I'm sure you would understand. The Grounders have so much to teach us, and there is so much we can teach them in return. Abby, it's a fresh start, a fresh start for all of us. All we are asking is that you allow the rest of Skaikru to come back with us."

Abby turned to Clarke "So what, you're brainwashing them now?"

Clarke gave her a look of disgust "No, _Chancellor_, I didn't brainwash them. If that was the case, do you think I would have escorted Sgt. Scott back? Every single Skaikru member was given a choice. Right from the start. If they decided to rejoin the Ark, I offered them my protection until you were situated, and an escort to your camp to ensure their safety. In addition, I offered them a chance to work and train with Skaikru while they stayed. Only Sgt. Scott decided to return to the Ark, and only because he is loyal to you. He said he wanted to wait to see what you chose. I assured him that he was always welcome if he ever changed his mind. He spent his time training with the culinary crew" she smirked "it turns out he always wanted to learn cooking skills, but was unable to on the Ark."

Bellamy saw the look that Marcus, his dad, gave him. It was still so weird to think of him as his dad, he knew he needed to talk to Octavia about it, but Marcus asked him to wait until they returned, so they could all sit down and discuss it. Bellamy knew it was time to move things along, or they were never getting out of here. "This is getting ridiculous. Our Heda has explained this to you in greater detail than necessary out of respect. Are you going to let our people go or not?"

"Bellamy, its fine. I understand her hesitance," she turned to Abby "but we _are_ wasting daylight. Are my people free to come home with us or not?"

"I think we should discuss it in the morning, after I've had a chance to speak with those people leaving Camp Jaha to make sure they are not being coerced. If you will follow me, I will show you to your accommodations." Abby turned to go.

"I'm sorry to hear that Chancellor. I had really hoped we could resolve this between us." Clarke clicked the Comm three times in her pocket to signal Jackson. "We will have to decline your offer of hospitality, but, here is a map to Eos, I really hope you change your mind." She handed the map to Abby and signaled Bellamy to grab Finn.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you are doing Bellamy?" Finn thrashed against him as Bellamy flipped him onto his stomach and tied his hands behind his back.

"Maybe you didn't hear the part where you were charged with Treason?" Clarke turned to her mother "Thank you for meeting with us, you know how to reach us if you need anything."

"Clarke, I didn't say we were done."

"I don't take orders from you, Chancellor."

"I've had enough of this rebellion, you are to return with me to Camp Jaha where we will discuss this further. I will accept no argument from you." Abby was furious and grabbed Clarke by the arm. Before she could do anything else, three arrows whizzed by her and landed in the ground.

Clarke took the chance to change gears and yanked her mother close "I wouldn't if I were you. The Grounders surround you in the woods, they were given command to protect me at all costs. Turn around and walk back to your camp and you will remain unharmed. Try anything like that again, and you will regret it."

Abby recoiled from her in shock. "What happened to you? What happened to the Clarke I raised?"

"She died when you floated her father."


	18. Chapter 18

***Thank you to all my readers! I would never had gotten this far without your support. As this story evolves, so do my ideas. Honest reviews help my creative flow, so please keep them coming! Sorry I'm not updating as quickly as usual, the kiddos are out on summer break and they keep me busy! Not to mention it's hard to concentrate with them constantly yelling "MOM!" I'll try to update more often. I think we'll check in with Jackson for a moment…

~Chapter 18~

"Okay, that was the signal. I guess Abby doesn't plan to loose anyone to Skaikru." Jackson wasn't terribly surprised, Abby liked control, and she had a hard time recognizing when she was in the wrong, at least not until after the damage had already been done. He just hoped that this latest decision didn't become her downfall.

"Monty, you almost in? We have to get going, The Chancellor will come back soon."

"Just about. Give me one minute Elliot, I have most of the info from the Ark downloaded, I just need to hack into this last file. I believe it contains info that only the Chancellors from the Ark had access to."

"Why do we need that? I mean, honestly, I'm not sure why we need any of it." Harper just wanted to get out of here. She hadn't felt right since they left Eos, she was just waiting for something to happen. Her gut was urging her to get the hell out of here.

"For one, Clarke plans on starting a school, so everyone can be taught the history of our people, there are lesson plans from the Ark already in the mainframe that will make our job easier. For another, we never know what information will come in handy later on." He typed furiously, the coding flying from his brain to his fingertips without him even thinking about it "This may be my only chance to retrieve it. There, one more…I got it! All downloaded. Let's go." He pulled the drive and threw it in the bag with the other computers and components they took from various parts of the Ark.

"Okay, once we're out, make sure to type in this passcode, it will reactivate the fence. Make sure you aren't caught. If you need anything, here's a Comm that will connect you directly with Eos." Elliot shook hands with Sgt. Scott "May we meet again."

"May we meet again." Sgt. Scott watched as Elliot joined Jackson on the other side of the fence. He put in the passcode and rushed off to his quarters. He hid the comm in a secret compartment and ran out towards the gate. Just as he arrived, he saw the Chancellor grab Clarke. A part of him wanted to rush out to protect her, but before he could move, arrows flew from the woods. The Grounders had it well in hand. He looked over to Taylor. "It's good to see you again. Can you give me a status update?"

"It's good to see you too Sir. I've made the rounds quietly, like you asked. There are a few still loyal to the Ark, but the majority are sick and tired of living like this. They aren't sure if they want to join Skaikru, but they don't want to stay at Camp Jaha either. They are grateful that Heda kom Skaikru is willing to let us stay with her until they make their decision."

"Select the people you trust the most and have them meet us tonight, we can discuss our plans. You've done good work here Taylor, I appreciate it."

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"Keep low and follow me, we'll rendezvous with the others in the woods." Miller signaled to everyone behind him to keep quiet as they slowly made their way around the outskirts of camp. They traveled low through the high grass, and out to the woods. Once they were in the clear, Miller and Harper lead the group quickly through the trees until they met up with Indra and her men.

"Were you seen?"

"No, I had two of our men follow a few feet behind us, wiping the trail just as you showed us. Thank you, Indra, we couldn't have gotten this far without your help."

Indra nodded "Your Heda awaits further in the woods. Follow me."

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Clarke was pacing back and forth. She couldn't believe her mother. She anticipated some resistance, but she had rather hoped that she could have gotten through to her. Her only solace came from the knowledge that more of her people were on their way, and soon enough she would have everyone safe and accounted for. It was only a matter of time before they could rescue the rest of the Arkers trying to leave Camp Jaha. She was turning when Bellamy stepped out in front of her and grabbed her shoulders gently.

"Princess, you need to stop worrying. Everything will be okay, we'll be back home soon, and we can get to work on the next phase of our plan."

"I know all that, but we don't have enough horses to get everyone back quickly, what if my mother comes after us? We won't have enough of a head start."

"Clarke, even if she is crazy enough to follow, we know these woods better than they do, trust me, it'll be fine."

Just then, Indra stepped out into the small clearing "Heda, my men have instructions to lead these people back to camp. They will stop for the night at a cave known to my people. It is well hidden, they will be safe there. I will escort you and your Guardsman back to Eos."

Clarke breathed a sigh of relief "Indra, you seem to anticipate my every need. You are an invaluable friend, thank you." She turned to welcome her people, smiling at everyone "Welcome my friends! I am so happy you have been able to join us. Indra's men will lead you all back towards our camp, you will stop overnight at a hidden location to keep you safe while you rest. It's a long journey, but you will arrive at Eos by tomorrow afternoon. We have brought enough provisions to keep you well fed until you get there." She gestured to the three of them standing together "We will be going by horseback because there is an urgent matter awaiting us back home, but I look forward to greeting you at the gates."

Bellamy watched as everyone seemed to relax under Clarke's gaze. They got everyone organized and moving within a few minutes. As their people headed off, following the Grounders, they mounted their horses. Finn was being guarded by Kane, who promised to keep a close eye on him at all times. He turned to Clarke "Well, Princess, are you ready to go home?"

"More than ready."

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The Grounder cave was very well hidden indeed. If you didn't know exactly what you were looking for, you would miss it. After arriving, they set up camp deep within the cave. Marcus stepped outside for a minute to compose his thoughts, a light rain had begun sometime while they were settling in for the night. He took this opportunity to wash his face, the day had been warm and the cold mist felt refreshing on his skin. He stepped back inside and walked until he could see the light from the small fire. Searching for a place near the fire, but also within sight of Finn, he sat down next to Grame and Aylill. He learned early on that they were Indra's most trusted warriors, and after spending the day with them, he could see why. They were fierce, but didn't lord it over those less experienced than them. They had a way about them that exuded a lifelong dedication to their craft. Aylill was a young woman, most likely in her late twenties, with long light brown hair in intricate braids down her back. She had bright green eyes, a small nose, and pointed petals tattooed around her right eye. Grame looked to be in his early thirties. He was similar in height to Kane, but bigger, more muscular. With dark brown hair, beard, sharp nose, and a chiseled jawline, he made a striking appearance. To top it off, his ice blue eyes didn't miss a thing. Those same eyes settled on Kane as he sat.

"I do not understand Heda Kom Skaikru, why does she insist that we feed and care for her prisoner? He committed treason, yet she asks for him to be treated as everyone else?"

Kane could tell that the Grounder was having trouble wrapping his mind around Clarke's decision. He took the food handed to him by Aylill and paused to take a bite. "I understand your confusion, as I was also unsure of Heda's demands when it came to Finn." Kane glanced over to where Finn sat a few yards away, sound asleep. "Let me ask you a question in return. If you had a loved one, who was accused of a serious crime, but you knew them to be innocent, how would you want them treated while they waited for their judgement?"

Aylill's face twisted in skepticism "But this is different, he left proof of his treason, he should be killed for what he has done."

Marcus chuckled "You are not the only one that feels that way. Raven, a member of Skaikru who was very close to Finn, asked Heda to take his life upon finding him."

"Why didn't she?"

Marcus noticed that quite a few people close to them waited curiously to hear the answer to Aylill's question "Heda knew that Raven meant what she said at the time, but she also knew Raven would feel guilty once her emotions had cooled down. She has decreed that all those who stand accused of crimes will be dealt with the same way. They will be fed, clothed, and their medical needs taking care of. If they are found guilty, punishment will be delivered, but if they are innocent, they can return to the village with their dignity intact."

"Your Heda is young and new to leading, correct?"

Kane turned back to Grahme "Yes, she is very young, but she learned from the mistakes of the leaders on the Ark. She wants a better life for our people down here on Earth."

Grahme took a moment to ponder everything that had been said, he scratched his beard and threw another piece of wood on the fire. "She is very wise, I begin to understand why the Commander places such value on helping your people."

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Abby took a deep breath and looked at the chaos all around her. She'd held her temper until everyone was in bed for the night, then she had come to the medical room, which doubled as her office, and she lost it. Papers, bandages, and other medical supplies were strewn across the floor. _How could Clarke do this to her? _Shortly after returning from her failed attempt to get Clarke to come into Camp Jaha, Sgt. Scott had run up to her with the news that Jackson, Elliot, and a number of their people had gone missing. They gathered everyone and double checked the records. Somehow twenty three people had managed to flee camp. After a search through the missing Arker's quarters, a letter addressed to Abby was found in Jackson's room. He had begged her to understand, stating that they left Camp Jaha because they wanted more out of life than what she had offered them. Abby had called a meeting with Sgt. Scott, Taylor, and all the guards on duty at the time.

_Abby flattened her hands on the table in front of her "I want to know how this happened." _

"_Chancellor, we only know that twenty three people are missing, and according to the letter Jackson left you, Clarke had something to do with it." Sgt. Scott replied._

"_Taylor, you were on duty, did you, or any of your guards see anything suspicious?"_

"_No, Ma'am. We had guards stationed all around the perimeter as usual, we even held off on the shift change until you returned to camp."_

_Abby took a minute to think, there was something there that she was missing. "Sgt. Scott, how did you know our people had gone missing to begin with?"_

"_I went to medical upon arrival. While your daughter did a wonderful job patching me up, I wanted an examination to be sure of her work. No one was in medical, so I asked around. After speaking to a few of the guards, it didn't take long to realize that we had people missing. I wasn't the only one searching for someone. That's when you came back to the gate, and I briefed you on the situation."_

"_Taylor, what is your take on the situation?"_

"_It's like Sgt. Scott said, we had multiple people approach the guards asking after people they needed to speak to. What we can't figure out, is how they got out the fence. It's electrified, but no one knows how it was disabled long enough for them to get out."_

_Abby waved away his words "Between Jackson and Elliot they knew all the passcodes and had the knowledge to pull it off. Sgt. Scott, was there anything you learned while with Skaikru that could be of use to us?"_

"_We were all given full freedom to walk around their camp while I was there. As you know, Marcus Kane and the others, decided to become members of Skaikru. I feared that they would try to force me to join, or lock me up if I didn't, but everything continued on as usual, and Clarke even offered me an escort back here to make sure I was returned safely. She let me keep my weapons, and spoke freely in front of me. I knew of her plan to talk with you to see if those here that wanted to leave could be released to her, but I knew nothing of any plans to break in. I was not privy to her meetings with her advisors, so it's possible they discussed plans during those meetings. There were always guards around the dropship where they held their meetings, I was unable to get close enough to listen. I know that Clarke, Bellamy Blake, and a few of the Grounders had horses because they needed to get back quickly. The Commander of the Grounders needed to speak with Clarke about something. This means our people are on foot, and they will either have to stop for the night, or walk in the dark."_

"_So, it's possible that we can track them and get them back before they reach Clarke." Abby quickly did the math, in order to bring back that many people unwillingly, she would have to send all the guards, and then there would be no one to keep the remaining Arkers safe. She sighed "It's too risky, we can't leave everyone here unprotected. I want everyone to check in three times a day, morning, noon, and night. We can't have anyone else 'wondering off' until we've figured out what to do."_

"_Permission to speak freely?" Sgt. Scott queried. _

"_Permission granted."_

"_Clarke spoke many times about how we had two weeks from landing to either join Skaikru, or make our own alliance with the Grounders. Have you considered making an alliance with them and Skaikru, then using that alliance to help convince the deserters to return? If we have an alliance, like Skaikru, we will be able to roam without fear of the Grounders." He looked around at all the other guards to explain "Skaikru has become friends with many of them, the Grounders have been teaching them how to survive on the ground. Weather like we've never seen before is coming soon. Winter, snow, freezing rain, things we never had to deal with on the Ark. The temperatures will drop and we will need to be able to stay warm. Skaikru has already begun building houses, storing food, and using the animal's skins and furs to make clothing and blankets. I tried to learn as much as I could while I was there, but I don't think that will be enough. Not if we can't leave Camp Jaha to hunt and gather."_

_Abby looked around at all the shocked faces of her guards. She hadn't told anyone about Clarke's demands. Of course, Sgt. Scott had no way of knowing that she'd kept the information to herself. What a mess. She pinched the bridge of her nose "It's true, the Grounder Commander has given us two weeks to either join Skaikru, or make our own alliance. If we chose to do neither, then we will not be allowed to go off of our land without risking war. I was given a map detailing what is considered our land. We have some space outside of our gates, but not enough to live off of. They are trying to back us into a corner, and I'm still deciding on the best course of action. Thelonious Jaha will be here soon, and we need to decide how to go from here. For now, make sure we add a few more guards to the gate. It's late, go get some rest, you're dismissed." _

Abby picked up her papers and straighten them out before placing them on her desk. She rolled all the bandages and placed them on the shelf. Re-righting the room helped calm her turbulent thoughts. Maybe Sgt. Scott was on to something. Maybe they needed to form an alliance. As soon as her team returned with Thelonious, she would talk to him about it.

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Finn continued to pretend to sleep. He couldn't believe what he'd overheard. Raven wanted him dead? She was the only family he had left. All he wanted was to get things back to normal so Clarke would look at him the way she used to. Living on the ground was hard and he was tired of fighting for his life. Thank goodness Clarke decided to put him on trial, maybe he'd have a chance to speak to Raven, explain himself. Surely, she would understand. If he could convince her, maybe she could talk to Clarke, make her understand that he wasn't committing treason, he was trying to save her. Save them all.

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It was the middle of the night when they finally pulled up in front of Eos. Bellamy looked over to Clarke as she called to the guards. The gate opened and they rode in. Indra nodded to them and headed off, presumably to find her people. Octavia rushed up to them as they dismounted, and he barely had time to step away from the horse before she was flying into his arms. He squeezed her tight and breathed in her scent.

"I missed you big brother."

"I miss you too, O"

She stepped back and pulled Clarke in for a hug as well.

"I was so worried about you! I wish you would have taken me with you."

"O, we're fine. Plus, we needed you here, to take care of our people." Clarke pulled back and brushed the hair off of Octavia's forehead. "What happened to your head?"

Octavia laughed "That? It's nothing, I was training some of the younger members with new weapons and I took a hit to the head while trying to prevent someone else from getting hurt. Lincoln stitched it up and took good care of me. I promise."

"I'm going to want to take a look at that first thing in the morning."

Octavia scoffed "Lincoln is perfectly capable of doing a few stitches."

Bellamy reached out and touched her arm "Clarke knows that, but you know how she is, she won't feel satisfied until she's looked at it herself."

Octavia sighed dramatically "I know, I know. Okay, mom, I'll stop in once you've had a chance to get some sleep."

"Very funny. You all can stop with the mom and dad jokes at any time you know." Clarke teased back. "But, before I go to bed, I need to see Lexa."

"Oh! I completely forgot. The Commander said that if you came home late to tell you that she will talk to you in the morning. I set them up on the West side of Eos, where we haven't started building yet. She brought tons of tents for her and her people. We invited them to dinner after they set up camp. That might have been a mistake."

"Really? Why?" Clarke hoped her people had been hospitable. She didn't want to offend the Grounders so soon after their treaty.

Octavia smirked "Because they brought alcohol. Naturally, that meant Monty and Jasper had to pull out their moonshine. People are passed out all around the village. Lexa felt it would be best for everyone to sleep it off before any serious discussions."

Clarke laughed, a sound that Bellamy loved and didn't hear nearly often enough. "If that's the case, then we'll head off to bed. See you in the morning!"

Octavia waved them off. Bellamy grabbed Clarke's hand and pulled her towards their tent. He checked inside before allowing Clarke to step in, just to be safe. Once inside, he twirled her around and grabbed her mouth in a hungry kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. The sensation caused him to harden in record time. He maneuvered her to the bed and all but ripped off their clothes. He couldn't wait to have her, but she didn't seem to mind, she was attempting to press herself even closer. There didn't seem to be an inch of skin that wasn't touching. He lowered her to the mattress, never breaking the kiss. She was frantically running her hands up and down his back and rubbing herself against him. He nudged her legs apart and settled down between them. He adjusted until he found her entrance and pushed in deep. She moaned and he pulled her hair, angling her face away so he could trail kisses down her neck as he thrust into her with a fever. When she called out his name, he felt her walls pulse around him. He drove deep one last time and felt his release fill her. They laid together, panting for breath, the rush almost too much. Once they had come down from their mutual high, he kissed her gently on the forehead before rolling to her side. He pulled the blanket up over them and gathered her close.

"Welcome home, Princess."


	19. Chapter 19

***Sunkissu9, thank you so much! I really hope you continue to enjoy the story! I love reading your reviews! Jo Hamel, thank you, I'm glad you like the story so far. I have some awesome plans for kabby, I hope you like them! As always, I own nothing of the 100. Thank you all for sticking with me, I hope this next part keeps you reading!

~Chapter 19~

The sun gently coaxed Clarke into wakefulness. She'd only gotten a few hours of rest, but somehow she felt refreshed and ready to start the day. Knowing Lexa needed to speak to her about something important, she wasted no time in getting dressed. She walked back to the bed and kissed Bellamy tenderly on the cheek. He didn't stir, which was unusual for him, as he was a light sleeper. Clarke checked for a fever, and finding none, determined that his body needed the rest, and was ensuring that he got it. He'd been working so hard lately, it was a wonder that he could even function. Deciding not to wake him, she stepped out of the tent to find the ground littered with Grounders and Skaikru. Octavia hadn't been exaggerating, Clarke hoped today's hangover was worth the fun they had last night.

"I see you're awake early, couldn't sleep either?"

Clarke turned to see Miller striding over to her. "No, there's too much to do today. Bellamy's exhausted though, I left him sleeping in the tent. I have to speak to Lexa, could you stay here to make sure Bellamy doesn't tear apart the village once he realizes that I left the tent without him?"

"Absolutely not. I will however, get someone else to do that while I accompany you to the Commander."

Clarke sighed "I am perfectly safe here in Eos. It is heavily guarded, as you well know."

"I know, but do you think I want Bellamy to kill me if he finds out that I let you go off on your own?" he asked with a pointed look.

"Fine, we'll do this your way." Clarke agreed reluctantly.

Miller placed his hand on his heart, and with a teasing glint and a small bow, said "Thank you, Heda, as always it is an honor to serve you."

Clarke laughed and shoved him "Shut up Miller."

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After finding someone to stand outside of their tent, Clarke set off in search of Lexa. The Commander had a multitude of tents lined up, but it was easy to tell which one was hers. Not only was it the largest, but there were two guards stationed outside. When they approached, the guards asked them to wait a moment while they checked to see if their Commander was awake. While they waited, they chatted with the remaining guard. Clarke saw Chail look over her shoulders, his eyes narrowed as he brought up his weapon. Sensing danger, Miller and Clarke spun around quickly, only to see Bellamy angrily storming towards them with Octavia and Lincoln behind him. She gestured to Chail to stand down as Bellamy strode up and grabbed Clarke by the arms.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking? I woke up to find our bed and tent empty, do you know what that did to me? I rushed out of the tent and almost knocked down Octavia before she told me where you were."

Seeing the crazed look in his eyes warmed her heart, but also irritated the hell out of her. She understood his worry, as she worried about him equally, but she also needed him to know that she could take care of herself. "Bellamy, I'm fine! Look around you, there are guards everywhere. Miller was with me the whole time, I am as safe as I can be without being…" she gestured wildly "locked up and hidden." she poked him in the chest "You needed sleep, you've been working non-stop. Between guarding me, building cabins, training, and keeping track of everything here in Eos, you are working yourself to death, so pardon me if I wanted to ensure you got some rest!"

His eyes darkened and something dangerous flickered in his gaze "If you ever do that again, you will not like the consequences."

Clarke met the challenge head on "Try it and see what happens. There's a line there Bellamy, don't cross it."

"Maybe you forgot the agreement we made, Princess. _You_ became Heda, and_ I_ became your Guardsman. You said you understood all that went with it, and that included me always knowing where you were. You talk about there being a line?_ You_ crossed it this morning. There is nothing, _nothing_, I wouldn't do to keep you safe, and you know damn well it's because of more than you being Heda."

Before another word could be said, Lexa appeared next to them. "Clarke, Bellamy, I believe this is a conversation that should be taken inside." She gave Bellamy a pointed look, he could tell she sided with him. After a deep breath, he turned Clarke around and gently pushed her towards the tent. He saw the Commander gesture for a worried Lincoln and an amused Octavia to follow. Once inside Clarke opened her mouth to lay into Bellamy, but Lexa cut in.

"Clarke, I was there when the agreement was made. We discussed the duties of a Heda and her guardsman. He is to guard you at all times. That is _his_ primary objective. _Your_ primary objective is to lead your people. Putting personal feelings aside, you do him a dishonor as Heda if you don't allow him to fulfill his purpose. I understand your need to be independent, I struggled with this as a young Heda myself. You will need to alter your mindset to reprogram your emotions regarding this. If you truly want my people to regard yours as equals, and for them to see you as a leader, you need to act like one." She held up a hand to forestall any argument from a flustered Clarke "Being a leader does not mean you lead alone, it means that you treat your people with respect, and have their well-being always at the forefront of your decisions. Every person in your tribe has their own purpose, and you need to show respect for that. By allowing my guardsmen to do their duty, I am showing them that I value their contributions and that I honor them. You must learn to do the same."

Clarke took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Bellamy could practically see the gears spinning in her head. She nodded resolutely, and reopened her eyes, the stormy blue had cleared to calm skies. Bellamy gave her a nod in return, knowing that they both understood one another. There was a good chance that they would clash again, because Clarke was used to a different way of life. They all were. But, he knew deep down that it would be okay, because they would figure it out, together.

"I will take your advice to heart. Thank you, Lexa." She straightened her shoulders, more resolved to be the leader her people needed "Now, I know you came here with some urgency. Maybe we could get to the matter at hand?"

"Yes, please, let us sit." Lexa waved to the table and chairs. Once seated, she leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other. "I received a message brought from Azgeda, the Ice Nation." She clarified "Their Queen is moving against me. I'm not terribly surprised as we have a very tumultuous relationship with one another. The messenger has knowledge of the details of the attack. They disagree with our treaty, or, at least that's what they say. I believe they're just using it as an excuse to finally do what they've always wanted to do. Take over the Coalition."

"Excuse me if I'm wrong, but with the twelve clans, your army far outnumbers those of Azgeda, correct?" Octavia queried.

"You are correct, but their army has been well trained, and I don't want to risk the lives of my people that aren't warriors. There is not a single Azgedan that hasn't been in training since they learned to walk, and they march upon my villages as we speak."

Clarke looked over to Bellamy who nodded. She turned back to Lexa "What can we do to help?"

"My sources say that the Queen is traveling through the villages claiming that I sent for her army to assist Skaikru with search and rescue. Knowing that not all of your people have been recovered, my people would have no reason to doubt her. Obviously, I did not send for her, or her army."

"She had to have known that you would see right through it." Bellamy pondered.

"The Ice Queen _wants_ her to know. She enjoys playing games, it makes the hunt more amusing for her." Lincoln replied.

"This source, how trustworthy are they? It could be a trap." Octavia observed.

Lexa leaned back in her chair "I understand why you might think that. If it was anyone else who came to me, I would have had the same doubts. Prince Roan came to me with the news himself."

Lincoln sucked in a breath "If he's involved, this is serious."

"Who is Prince Roan?" Clarke looked to Lexa for her answer.

"I have to tell you a bit of my past, and his as well, for you to fully understand. A long time ago, before Ice Nation was a part of the coalition, Queen Nia wanted to become the Commander. She tortured and killed someone very dear to me, trying to get information, trying to find my weakness. Little did she know that she already had it." She shuttered a ragged breath. "In retaliation, all trading with Azgeda was forbidden. We essentially cut all ties with them. Years later, we had a particularly bad winter, food was scarce, and the days and nights were bitter cold. Ice Nation was hit much harder because of their geographical location, the people were dying and struggling to survive. In a desperate measure to save her people, Queen Nia approached me for aid. I gave her an ultimatum, join the coalition, or I would let her people perish. She chose to pledge her loyalty to me. I only had one condition, she banish her only child. I wanted revenge, I wanted her to feel the loss that I felt." She looked around the table, her eyes finally resting on Clarke "Unfortunately, revenge is never all you think it will be. Queen Nia readily accepted. The conditions were simple. Her son was free to live and roam all over my lands, but he was never to set foot again in Azgeda. When Prince Roan was brought to me, Queen Nia didn't even say goodbye, she just nodded to me and left. It was then that I learned that not all mothers love their children. I took Prince Roan into my care and he confided in me that he did not get along with his mother, as they rarely saw things the same way. Prince Roan cares for his people, and he has proved himself to be loyal. You can trust him, his word is true."

"So, Prince Roan is your source? He can tell us the details of his mother's plans? Why would he help us?" Bellamy queried, doubt exuding from every pore of his being.

Lexa looked at Bellamy with wiry amusement "Because he isn't here just to help you, he is here to help _all_ of our people. He learned long ago, to listen when the previous Commanders have spoken, he trusts what they say irrevocably. The Commanders have stated that you are necessary to our survival. There will be obstacles that must be faced, and we must face them together. The Commanders see a future filled with peace and prosperity, but it can only come about by learning from each other. Prince Roan knows and accepts this. He will do anything to protect our people." She turned to Octavia. "Octavia, would you kindly tell my guards that we are ready for Prince Roan?"

Octavia nodded and rose to complete her small task. Clarke looked to Bellamy as he absorbed the information Lexa had given them. She knew later they would have a conversation, not just about their disagreement over her wandering the camp without him, but also about how they were going to continue to keep their people safe. Just when she thought they were making progress, they were kicked back down to the ground. So much had happened since they landed, had it really only been a few months? Before she could ponder more about the situation, the tent opened and in strode a man, tall, dark hair, and with an air of confidence that matched Lexa's.

Bellamy assumed this man was Prince Roan. He walked in like he owned the place. Just after Roan stepped inside, the tent flap opened a second time and Bellamy saw red. He quickly stood and positioned himself in front of Clarke. Part of him wanted to strangle the new comer, but he knew his priority had to be protecting Clarke. "Murphy, what the hell are you doing here?" Bellamy said his name like a curse.

Murphy didn't have a chance to respond. Octavia reached him in two strides and punched him as hard as she could. To Murphy's credit, he didn't fall down, just stepped back and rubbed his jaw. He glanced around her to Bellamy. "Funny, you always said she needed protecting, but her right hook says otherwise."

"Go to hell, Murphy." Octavia marched back to Lincoln and sat down.

Clarke laid her hand on Bellamy's arm. She raised a brow and waited for him to step aside. She stood just as Murphy began taunting Bellamy again.

"Ahhh, and the Rebel King protects the Princess. I see not much has changed."

Clarke stood ramrod straight and looked down her nose at Murphy "You have a very short amount of time to explain yourself. If you are not able to do so to my satisfaction, I will take the pleasure of killing you myself. Now start talking."

"Geeze Clarke, relax. You may find it hard to believe, but I actually came here to help you."

"Excuse me if I find that a hard pill to swallow. Why on Earth would you want to help us?" Octavia volleyed back.

Prince Roan looked around confused "If I could just interrupt for a moment, are you telling me that your Heda is a Princess, and her Guardsman is a King?"

Everyone else in the room chuckled, while Clarke's face turned pink. "Clarke was known as the Ark Princess because of who she was, the nickname stuck here on the ground. Bellamy earned himself the title of Rebel King because when we first landed, he took over leading the delinquents. Don't worry, you're the only royalty here." Murphy smirked.

"Now that we've dispensed with the pleasantries, maybe we could get to the matter at hand?" Clarke pointed out, her voice laced with frustration and embarrassment.

Everyone sat back down at the table. Lexa was the first to speak. "John, why don't you explain your part in this."

Murphy nodded "After I was banished from camp, I wandered around, trying _not_ to get myself killed. I avoided Grounders for the most part, but then I came upon a group of children. They were wary at first, but eventually they agreed to barter and trade with me for supplies. This led to trading with their parents as well." He shrugged "I did what I had to do to survive. One day I got too close to the border and Azgeda warriors captured me. I was taken to the Queen, who decided to keep me as a pet." His face contorted in disgust "She claimed that she had been watching me, and if I could prove myself to be useful, she would let me live. I tried to escape on my first mission. I learned never to do that again. Her men captured me and she, in turn, tortured me for weeks." He gestured to the ragged scars that littered his body "I still don't know why, but she gave me another chance, and as long as I completed the tasks she gave me, I wasn't treated so bad. Mostly she had me spy on her own people for her. I identified thieves and rebels, then she imprisoned them. Then one day a ship fell out of the sky. The Queen led her army to collect the survivors." He turned when Clarke gasped "Farm station landed in Ice Nation. She keeps them as working prisoners. They farm the land, make weapons, and anything else she can force them to do. They work all day with little food or rest. On days that she had no other use for me, she would have me work out in the fields with them. After speaking to a few of them, I found out that they had lost about half their people in the landing and the subsequent battle with Azgeda." He paused for a moment to grieve those that were lost. He looked back up and steeled himself for the rest. "Last week, the Queen called me to her throne room and sent me on a task. I had to find her son, and give him a message from her. It was time for him to return home to take his rightful place at her side. I decided to use that opportunity to come warn you. Being her 'pet', I was privy to many conversations, I overheard her whole plan. I'm pretty sure it's a trap, but I had to try something."

Everyone sat silent for a moment. Octavia seethed with rage, Bellamy ran through different rescue possibilities, and Clarke studied Murphy. He was a walking contradiction. She was never sure if he could be trusted, because he only appeared to act out of self-interest. "Murphy, you were banished, why help us now?"

"Honestly? I'm not sure. I did some shitty things that I'm not proud of, being here on the ground changed us, all of us. We were these bad-ass delinquents, making the rules as we went along. 'Whatever the hell we want', right Bellamy?" He laughed self-deprecatingly. "I wasn't sure who I was anymore. Being out there?" he pointed past the tent walls "I had to face some pretty hard truths. Traveling as much as I did, I got to see Grounder villages. I watched them, studied them. At first it was to make sure I knew what I needed in order to stay alive, but I saw how they lived. People. People like us, parents, children, _families_." He bowed his head "I'd forgotten what that was like. I-I guess I just-I began to see things differently. When I caught up with Roan, I told him everything. I figured maybe in doing this, I could set a few things right. I wasn't always an asshole you know."

Bellamy knew Murphy pretty well, and maybe the circumstances played more of a factor in everything that happened with Charlotte. He wasn't saying that all was forgiven, but he could at least empathize. Hell, Bellamy spent many nights blaming himself while simultaneously cursing Murphy. Maybe it was time for second chances. He steadied his gaze on Murphy. "Then tell us what you know, so we can make a plan."


	20. Chapter 20

***Some things are about to get crazy. I hope you all are ready for it! Please continue leaving reviews, I love hearing about what you liked or didn't like, and what you hope to see happen! Thank you all for sticking with me. As always, I don't own anything of the 100. I'm still searching for a pair of Jasper's goggles….

~Chapter 20~

"Okay, let me get this straight, she plans to kill the Commander so she can take her power?" Clarke was struggling to understand the concept. It was times like this that she fully saw the differences between their cultures.

"When you kill another person, especially someone of prestige and legend, you essentially become more powerful than them in the eyes of everyone else. You are taking their power, and adding it to your own. Look at what happened to the Earth that was, countries fought for power. When one leader killed another, they took over that country and added to their power." Lexa explained.

"Yeah, and that turned out just peachy." Murphy snickered.

Ignoring Murphy, Clarke turned her attention back to Lexa. "What's your plan, and how specifically can we help with it?"

"Under normal circumstances, we would go to war, but the Commanders have advised me against this, there is too much at risk. I have come to you, by their command, to help formulate a plan. If we can find a way to kill the Queen, I can re-instate Prince Roan, and make him the new King of Azgeda."

"This will mean killing her warriors as well. They are very loyal, and will not be easily persuaded to accept me as their King. She marches with over three hundred." Roan Observed.

A shout went up outside and everyone stood, one of the guards entered the tent. "My apologies Heda, but Skaikru's people have been spotted" He turned his attention from the Commander to Clarke "Your presence is requested at the gate."

Clarke stood, followed by everyone else "Murphy, no one knows you are here. I think it would be better if you stay here with Lexa until I come back, then we will announce to Skaikru that you are here with information that can help us, and will be rejoining our society. I will announce that you are being given a second chance to prove yourself loyal. Don't make me regret it."

Murphy was taken aback, a range of emotions flittering across his face. Sadness, surprise, wariness, and admiration were just a few of them. Finally, his decision made, he stood tall and took a deep breath "Thank you, Heda, I will be ready when you return."

She nodded, Murphy had potential, Clarke just needed to find him the right motivation. Perhaps in giving him a second chance, he could begin to find himself, after all, that was the whole point of Eos. Starting over, beginning anew. The laws of the Ark no longer dictated how they had to live, Skaikru was slowly finding their passions and purpose here on the ground.

"Commander, would it be acceptable to set up a meeting later, to discuss a plan of action?" Bellamy inquired.

"Absolutely. Why don't you and your advisors meet me here for the midday meal, we will need our strength for what's ahead."

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Finn stepped back into camp unwillingly. Marcus Kane had him well in hand and there was no getting out of this now. He looked around as they walked through the gate, the people of Skaikru must have known they were coming, because people were lined up. Waiting, staring. Clarke and Bellamy were in the center, Clarke with open arms and a smile to welcome the newcomers. Bellamy on the other hand, was staring him down, his pent up anger noticeable to anyone who glanced that way. Finn tore his gaze away and searched until he found Raven. He stopped short at the look she gave him. A guttural scream ripped from her throat.

"Traitor!" she screamed at him. Finn watched as she marched up to a warry Clarke. "Why didn't you kill him? I told you to kill him!" Raven stood, hands fisted at her side, she appeared to be barely holding it together.

Clarke's face softened as she stood in front of Raven and took her face in her hands. "You were betrayed, your words were spoken in anger, and you would have hated me after the fact, and yourself, if I had done what you asked. I don't want that for you. He _will_ stand trial here, and I promise he _will_ be punished for his actions, but I won't have you be hurt in the process. Not anymore than you already are, not if I can help it." Clarke searched Raven's eyes, hoping she understood. Pleading with her own eyes, she asked "Are we okay?"

Raven dropped her gaze and grasped Clarke's wrists, holding her hand to her cheeks while she breathed in and out. Allowing her friend's comfort to slide through her, easing the pain. "Yeah, we're okay." She dropped her voice down to a whisper "Thank you, Clarke."

Clarke pulled Raven in for a quick hug, pulling back, she glanced around, feeling the eyes of her people focused on her, waiting to know more. She raised her voice so it would carry across the camp. "Finn _will_ be held accountable for the crimes he has committed against us. Tomorrow anyone who wishes, will have an opportunity to air their grievances against him. On the following day, Finn will be given a chance to explain his actions, then on the third day he will receive his sentence. All will be held after the morning meal outside of the dropship. Attendance is completely voluntarily." her gaze traveled over her people and landed on Finn "Guards, take him away. He will be provided with the basic necessities, but no more than that. Anyone wishing to visit him, may do so, please see Miller to set up a supervised visit." Clarke waited until the guards had taken a dejected Finn out of sight. She held up a hand and waited as the people quieted. "Let us turn our attention to happier news. People of Skaikru, please welcome our honored guests and the return of our family and friends. We will provide sanctuary for those who need it for as long as they need it, and a permanent place amongst us for those who wish it." She waited for the cheers of the crowd to die down, and she turned to those standing just inside the gate "We have prepared shelter and food for you all, please follow Fox and Monroe, they will show you around and help you get settled in."

Bellamy stood guard as Clarke welcomed each person, many of them by name, giving some a handshake, others a hug. She made sure that each person felt welcomed into Eos. After Fox and Monroe led everyone away, Clarke caught Raven's eye and signaled her to join them. "Raven, I know this has all been a lot to take in, but we have a situation. Can you round up all the advisors and have them meet in the Commander's tent for the midday meal?"

"Of course" she lowered her voice "How bad is it?"

"Murphy's back." Bellamy responded.

"Shit. That bad huh? I'll round up the troops."

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"Heda…" Clarke turned abruptly.

"Marcus! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you, I had to send Raven on a quick errand." She grabbed his hands, giving them a gentle squeeze "Thank you again for leading everyone safely back home. I know you just got back, but we need all the advisors in the Commander's tent for an emergency meeting. You have enough time to get changed into fresh clothing if you wish."

"Would you like me to debrief you before or after the meeting?"

"After you've freshened up. We can chat on our way to the Commander's. Unless you think it will take longer?" Clarke replied.

"Everything went better than expected, it should only take a few minutes. If you will excuse me, I'll go get cleaned up."

"Of course! When you are finished, meet us at the dropship." Clarke watched as Kane walked away. She turned to Bellamy "Is there something on your mind? You've been awfully quiet since we left Lexa."

Bellamy turned and captured her gaze "Murphy. Do you really think we can trust him?"

"I think we don't have much of a choice. I took a good look at his injuries while he was talking. Most of them will leave permanent scars." She frowned.

Bellamy used his thumb to brush away the wrinkles that formed on her forehead. Even after everything he'd done, Clarke was still concerned about Murphy. Her heart was bigger than any he'd ever seen, and to think when they first landed, he believed her to be a lazy princess. It just went to show you that you can't judge a person by their station. The Ark's way of life really put people against one another. What they were trying to build here in Eos was precious, and he would do anything to protect it. "Relax Princess, I'm sure once you explain Murphy's appearance in Eos, you will have plenty of time to take a closer look. You'll have him patched up in no time."

"I'm not so sure Bel, did you see the way he was favoring his right arm? I think his left arm was broken, and they didn't take the time to reset it. It healed incorrectly, and in order to fix it, I would have to find the break, re-break it, and set it properly. Not difficult to do on the Ark, where we had access to an x-ray machine, and the technology to make sure he was okay, but here on the ground? I could do further damage." She shook her head "I couldn't do that to him, it's not worth the risk."

"I'm sure you will still find a way to make him as comfortable as possible." If there was one thing he knew, it's that she wouldn't rest until she found a way to help Murphy, no matter his transgressions.

Clarke grabbed his arm, excitement replacing the worry on her face. "Monty! I have to find Monty!"

"Whoa, slow down Princess! What's going on?" Bellamy grabbed her arm to keep her from rushing off.

"I know how to fix Murphy!"

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Since there was no one currently in medical, Clarke had dragged her advisors into the dropship. After explaining the situation with Murphy, she told them her idea. Bellamy, Raven, Harper, Miller, Monty, Jasper, Marcus, and Sterling all stared at Clarke, some with jaws dropped. "So, what do you think? Is it possible?"

Monty shook his head in amazement. "Yeah, it's possible, all the equipment is there, but we'd have to get past the Reapers. Is Murphy really worth it?"

"We banished Murphy for what he did to Charlotte, but he's come back with important information, and I honestly believe he suffered more than his due." Clarke hadn't ever really gotten along with Murphy, but after seeing him, she could tell he was broken inside. She was determined to help him find his place here in Eos.

"While I'm reluctant to agree, Murphy did look pretty bad. I'm still pissed about what happened, but it's not like I was much better. After all, I'm the one that kicked the step out from under him." He glanced around at the others "I got a second chance at redemption, maybe it's time for his."

Raven was the first to speak up. "Looks like the prodigal son has returned. Lead us to him."

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"Octavia's not wrong," Murphy sat back and leaned on his good arm "While I didn't actually force her to jump, I am responsible for Charlotte's death. I just wanted to scare her, I wasn't planning on doing anything more than that. I had no idea that a girl that young would ever consider taking her own life." He shuddered "When I saw her jump off that cliff, I knew, I knew in that instant that it was all my fault. I will always have her blood on my hands."

"Yes, but my point is, that if your Heda," Roan said while looking at Octavia "is willing to let him rejoin your society, then she must have a good reason. If he had been banished, then only a full pardon would be allowed to lift the ban, and since you pledged your loyalty to Heda kum Skaikru, then you must look past this and welcome him to the village with a clean slate."

"Prince Roan is correct. Murphy deserves a second chance."

Murphy's head snapped around to where Clarke and Bellamy stood just inside the tent. They moved forward, and others piled in behind them. Clarke walked straight over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Octavia, if you remember, Bellamy tortured Lincoln, and I supported him, to save Finn. We've all done things we aren't proud of down here on the ground. What makes us any better than him?" Clarke looked down at Murphy "He has returned to us, with valuable information that can save our people, even though he was banished. That alone proves to me that he is learning how to become a better man. It's our job to encourage that." She squeezed his shoulder and gave him a smile before turning to her advisors. "Please, everyone, let's sit down and we'll fill you in on everything."

With the help and input from Prince Roan and Lexa, Murphy retold his story. Everyone around the table sat silent for a minute, all trying to come up with a plan to stop Azgeda, while keeping as many of their people safe as possible.

"We need a way to isolate Ice Nation so we can take them out without bringing war to the people." Clarke pursed her lips together in thought. "Monty, didn't you say that Mount Weather has a weapons system?"

Monty glanced nervously around the table "Yes, but I don't have the launch codes. I mean, we can try to hack into the system, but I don't know how long it'll take. We don't even know if it's still in working order."

"We can send a team to check it out, but even if we can get access, do we have a place we can lure Azgeda that is far away enough for us to attack without endangering the nearby villages?" Kane interrupted.

Lexa leaned forward "Clarke, what kinds of weapons are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry, we haven't had time to discuss this with you, but there are large weapons in Mount Weather, bombs, acid fog, even biological warfare. We are still taking inventory of everything there, I had planned on a full report of our findings as soon as we were done, but it's a large compound, and we have to work around the Reapers. We found a map of the facility, and based on that, we are not even half way through cataloging all the rooms and levels. But, if we can use what's there to fight Azgeda, we should focus on that."

Lexa closed her eyes and held still like a statue. Clarke knew this meant she was consulting the previous Commanders. She waved everyone to silence and kept her focus on Lexa. Time passed slowly, everyone around the table sharing worried glances. Clarke waited patiently until Lexa's eyes reopened and focused on her.

"The Commanders need more information, once we know exactly what kinds of weapons are there, they can guide us appropriately. We must leave for Mount Weather as soon as possible."

Clarke turned "Lincoln?" He seemed to know exactly what she was asking of him, after clearing his throat he spoke.

"If we wait until nightfall, I can lead the Reapers away and Octavia can get you in."

"No."

Lexa's voice brooked no argument, and had heads whipping around to stare at her with mouths agape.

"You have said there are about twenty or so Reapers, is this not true?"

Lincoln sat tall "I have seen more than twenty, less than thirty, but those are just the ones guarding Mount Weather, I believe there are more that stay in their camp. They use a series of tunnels to traverse around the area, I've been trying to track them, but I have been unsuccessful in locating their village."

Lexa sat tall and pinned Clarke with a fixed gaze "Then we'll kill them."

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Clarke had argued that they should try to negotiate with the Reapers, but Lexa shot that idea down, explaining that her people had tried over the years, and were killed for their efforts. The Reapers were zealots, and were incapable of listening to reason. The Reapers had been left alone, and as long as no one stepped into their territory, they were left alone as well. The Reapers never left their boundaries, although they were watched closely.

"Taking a life is never an easy decision, but the Reapers have been a plague on our history and with our people for far too long. It is past time that they be dealt with." Lexa had stayed firm with her decision, one that she did not take lightly.

"I understand." She changed her focus to the other side of the table. "Octavia, do we have warriors that are ready to handle this?" While Clarke would have liked to settle this peacefully, she knew that they needed to move quickly. The Ice Nation could be here within a matter of days, and they were rapidly running out of time.

"The Reapers fight hard, and know the terrain better than we do, but between our forces and what the Commander has with her, we outnumber them. We should be able to take them out fairly easily." Octavia glanced at Lincoln to confirm.

"I've made maps of their tunnels and land that I've been able to successfully scout. Between those and the Maps Monty has retrieved from Mount weather, we should be able to devise a plan of attack that provides us with the least amount of casualties."

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They left right after the midday meal. Miller and Harper were left in charge of Eos until they returned. Clarke, Bellamy, Octavia, Lincoln, Kane, Monty, and Raven left camp with eight of their best warriors. Lexa followed with approximately sixty of her own. The Commander kindly left an equal amount back at Eos to help protect their village while they were gone. Word was sent to other villages in the area to inform them of the attack, and to make sure they stood watch against any Reapers that might try to flee the area. Lexa, Indra, Clarke, and Bellamy were all on horseback at the Commanders request. Their people followed on foot. Lexa maneuvered her horse next to Bellamy and Clarke.

"Clarke, you indicated in your original message that Mount Weather had many supplies and you were taking inventory before everything would be separated amongst the clans. Why not keep it all to yourself? After all, you were the ones able to get inside. No one would deny you that honor."

"First of all, there is way too much there, more than we would need in several lifetimes. Above that, we really are trying for lasting peace here. We honestly thought we were going to be the only people on Earth when we landed. The Ark didn't even think we would survive because of the radiation levels, so they certainly never imagined that there would be people that survived the original bombings." Clarke watched as Lexa absorbed the information. "I believe we would all be better served utilizing what Mount Weather has to offer."

Lexa accepted the explanation with a nod. "What kinds of supplies have you found so far?"

"According to Monty, there are beds, blankets, pillows, clothing, medical supplies, equipment, paper, pencils, school books, books, works of art, seeds, and even the supplies to create animals and humans."

Lexa visually blanched. "How do you create animals and humans?"

"There is a cryogenic storage of sperm and eggs from thousands of humans and millions of animals. They have all the equipment needed to create life in a high tech lab. We could breed more animals and repopulate the Earth with them. If there are families unable to conceive a child naturally, we can help with that. It would take a while, but it could really make a difference in our everyday living."

"And your people know how to do this?" Lexa asked in amazement.

"Yes, and we could teach anyone who wanted to learn. We haven't been able to sit down and work out all the details, but I had been working on an idea to use the hospital level for things that are beyond clan healers. Looking for things that might be broken inside the body that we can't see with our eyes, helping with difficult pregnancies, and saving lives. Anya's second? Tris? I could have saved her with the equipment in Mount Weather had I known about it." Clarke took a deep breath "There are so many others that can be saved, but I need your help, I can't do it alone. While I have learned a lot from your healers, and I hope I was able to teach them something in return, we also need to train others. We will need to have a staff of people ready at a moment's notice from each village, this way there is always someone nearby. I want to protect our people, all our people." She shrugged "This is one small way I can do that."

Lexa observed the resolution on Clarke's face. The determination to beat all odds. "I will help in any way I can. With one condition."

"And what's that." Clarke asked nervously.

"You take in our unwanted, make them members of Skaikru."

Bellamy, who had stayed quiet while they talked, whipped his head around at this. "Your 'unwanted'? What does that mean?"

Lexa sighed, the sound heavy with the weight of the world. "When children are born with deformities, they are cast out of their villages. It started after the bombs. Too many children were born with deformities, and they died gruesome deaths. The families, unable to bear witness to it, started leaving them outside the villages to allow nature to reclaim them. A few families fled with their children instead of giving them up. As their children grew and survived, those families came back, and have collected other unwanted over the years. Most live in the North, but small clans of them are scattered all around. As long as they cause no trouble, they are left alone to their own devices. As a general rule, it's not discussed amongst our people."

"So you just throw out anyone who's different? That's cruel!" Clarke exclaimed.

"I don't disagree, but people wanted to clean out the bloodlines, to make mankind strong again, and this was the only way they knew how. Unfortunately, it's become such an ingrained part of our culture, it is hard to turn the tide. This is one way as Commander, I can help set it right. If word got out that they were welcome in your clan, my people would accept it, because your way of life is different than ours. This also gives families the choice to join you instead of giving up their child. Maybe, over the years, people will forget about discarding those in need, and we can once again find our humanity."

Clarke looked over at Bellamy, his pensiveness told her without a doubt that he was thinking of the Ark, and his sister. The correlation was startling. That the Grounders and Sky people alike, both got rid of those that were unwanted in some shape or form was disturbing to say the least. Was humanity really that superficial? She couldn't begin to imagine how her life might have ended up, had the Ark not run into serious oxygen deficiencies. Would she have become a doctor like her mom? Would she have had to tear apart families as well? One more reason to be grateful for new beginnings. Making her decision was easy. She turned back to Lexa.

"We'll take them all."


	21. Chapter 21

***I hope everyone enjoyed the last chapter! It was getting long, so I had to cut it off. We're going to stop in Eos for a bit to see how Miller and Harper are doing while being in charge. As usual, I don't own any rights to the 100 or the characters, much to my everlasting dismay. Reviews are life! Please tell me if you are liking the story or not! *^.^*

~Chapter 21~

Harper was going to lose her temper. Clarke had only been gone for about an hour, and she'd already stitched up two people, made a sling for another, and bandaged more idiots than she could count. How did Clarke do this all day, every day, and not go insane? The mass majority of injuries she saw were due to pure stupidity. The kid she just stitched up, for instance, had cut his leg when he decided to jump out of a tree to scare a girl. Did he honestly think that it would impress her? Harper shook her head and walked over to her workbench. Just as she was sitting down, she heard steps on the dropship door. She groaned and thunked her head on the table in front of her.

"Hey, Harper, sorry to interrupt, but I need some help out here."

Harper lifted her head to look at Miller. She mustered up her most 'I'm done' expression, and leveled it at him. "What now?" she raised a hand to stop his answer "Wait, don't tell me, Finn escaped and he's running through the village naked."

"That would honestly be better than this. You see, it all started when Jasper got bored."

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Harper stood over the unconscious figure of their main chef. "So let me get this straight." Harper glared at Jasper "You decided there needed to be an alcohol infused fruit salad on the menu tonight?"

Jasper swayed on his feet, and catching the edge of the table to keep him from falling over before answering. "The Grounders mentioned it once, they said for special occasions they soak different fruits in alcohol, and then cut them up and serve it as a treat."

"Yes, yes, you told me that part already. What I don't understand, is how _you_ are drunk, and _Fox_ is passed out! How much alcohol is in that fruit salad?" Harper threw up her hands as she asked incredulously.

"S'not Fox's fault" he slurred "I was experimenting with different alcohol fruit ratios. I kept adding more until we thought it tasted good. We had a lot of fruit." Jasper hiccupped "Really, it's Clarke's fault. She took Monty, he was supposed to help with this."

Harper pinched the bridge of her nose with her fingers. She took a deep breath and turned to Miller. "We have extra mouths to feed, and our chef is out cold. Where is the rest of the kitchen crew?"

Miller shrugged "They were helping with the 'taste test'. They're all in the back drinking water and trying to sober up. I left Jackson in charge of them."

"You have got to be kidding me!" Harper shook her head in disgust "Jasper, go out back and have Jackson look at you." She waited until he slunk out the back door of the kitchen, his head hung low. "Miller, can you help me round up all of Skaikru for an emergency meeting?"

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Harper wiped her sweaty hands on her pant legs. This is why Clarke and Bellamy were in charge. Dozens of faces stared at her, waiting for her to begin. She wasn't made for speech making, but Miller refused to do it. Instead, he opted to help Jackson in getting everyone back on their feet. She just needed to find her inner-Clarke. She took a steadying breath. She could do this. "Skaikru," her voice crackled and broke with nervousness, she cleared her throat and spoke louder "as you have probably heard, Jasper and the kitchen staff wanted to surprise everyone with a special treat with dinner tonight. Unfortunately, they are now incapable of preparing dinner." She waited for the sniggers and groans to die down "I need two teams of people, one to prep a variety of berries and nuts, and another to roast two boars. The pits have already been prepped, we just need people to rotate the pigs and keep them from burning. If you have had _any _experience with this, please see me. We all need to pitch in if we want a decent meal for us and our guests." As her face scoured the crowd, she saw a young girl in the back with her arm raised "Yes, you in the back?"

"I'm part of the kitchen crew, but just got back from my scheduled washing time. I've been learning how to bake bread from the grains given to us by the Ingranronakru, if that helps?"

Harper beamed "That helps tremendously! Come on up and we'll talk. Anyone else willing to volunteer, do the same, otherwise you are dismissed!" Harper waited until a dozen or so people stood in front of her. She indicated for the young girl to come closer. "Jessica, do you think you could be in charge of dinner preparations until we can get Fox back on her feet?"

"I would love to! I really enjoy cooking, the Grounders have been great teachers, and I've spent almost all my time in the kitchens with Fox, so I know how she runs things."

"That would be a huge help, thank you." Harper turned to address the volunteers "Jessica will be in charge tonight. If any of you need anything, talk to her. If she is unable to answer, she will send you to me. Thank you all for volunteering, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do!"

Miller walked over to Harper just as everyone was leaving. "I hope you got a good group of volunteers, Jackson said there is no way any of them will be ready for anything for the next few hours. He sent them to their tents to sleep it off."

"I did, you know that girl Jessica? She is part of the kitchen crew, but since she was gone from camp this morning, she didn't take part in the fruit salad fiasco. She taking over for Fox, so we should be okay."

"That's good. By the way, I hope you don't mind, but I asked if Jackson could take over Medical until Clarke gets back, that way you can be freed up to handle whatever else is thrown our way."

Harper let out a sigh of relief. "That actually works out great. I'm glad we have Jackson around, he's much better at this than I am."

Miller looked confused "But didn't you volunteer to take over the med bay for Clarke? That way she could focus on being Heda?"

"I did." Harper tried to think of the best way to explain it "I've always liked helping people, and I felt like I did that while being a guard. I figured it would be the same working alongside Clarke, but I just don't get the same type of satisfaction out of stitching up wounds as I did protecting people with a gun. I don't want to go back to being a guard though either. I like being able to have the freedom to make decisions, I like helping others, and I like interacting with people. I'm not sure where that leaves me though."

Miller took a minute to process that. By unspoken agreement, they headed towards the kitchens to check on things. "You know, maybe you should consider running the school. Like Clarke said, we have younger members of Skaikru that could finish up their education, then there are the future generations to think about. It's only a matter of time before we have children running around. If you were in charge, you would be able to create the education system from the ground up. If I remember correctly, you were at the top of all your classes. There is no reason that you couldn't do it."

Harper mulled over the implications of that idea for a brief minute before replying "Well, that _is_ a way to help people, and I do like kids. Maybe I'll talk to Clarke and Bellamy about it when they get back. Thanks Miller, I appreciate you listening."

"Anytime. At least I don't have to worry about you coming back and taking over the guards. I like my job." He bumped Harper with his shoulder and laughed. She punched him on the arm, but he knew she didn't mean anything by it. Joking and laughter was quickly becoming a regular thing on the ground. He was really enjoying how their little family was finally finding happiness. It was a good time to be alive.

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A low whistle traveled through the trees. Lincoln was on his way. Everyone gripped their weapons, ready for the fight to begin. Bellamy looked over to Clarke, hiding behind the tree next to him. Their eyes met, and she smiled. He gave her a quick peck on the lips right before he heard Lexa's war cry. Everyone jumped out from their hiding spaces and ran at the Reapers headed towards them. The plan was simple, Lincoln would go into the tunnels and get the Reaper's attention, and then he would lead them back to where their army was hidden. Bellamy made sure to keep close to Clarke the whole time. While her fighting skills had improved, he refused to leave her unguarded.

The battle took place in a small valley near one of the entrances to Mount Weather. Amazingly it didn't last long, or at least that's how it felt to Clarke. It seemed that one minute they were rushing at the Reapers, and the next, cheers of victory were bouncing off the trees. The ground was littered with fallen Reapers, two of them she had taken down herself. She did a quick visual check to see if Bellamy had incurred any major injuries. When she concluded that he was okay, she jerked her head, indicating that he should follow her. She found Lexa talking with her guardsman while her people began piling up the bodies.

"Commander, we should get our people inside so we can assess injuries and treat them."

"We will Clarke, but first we must gather the bodies of the fallen. I sent scouts to go look for their village, once it is found, my men will take the bodies there to be burned in the warrior's ceremony."

Bellamy took a few steps away to address Skaikru "Raven, Monty, and Kane. Head over to Mount Weather and get started, we'll follow soon. Everyone else help pile these bodies."

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Marcus watched as Monty and Raven turned on all the computers. The room was filled with desks and monitors. Monty pulled the surveillance feed up first. On one of the screens, he could see their people working outside. "Monty, is there surveillance for the whole compound?"

"Yes, the screens are set to rotate once every thirty seconds, unless the camera picks up movement, then those screens stay on. You can use the program to set up any variation you want, but under the circumstances, this seemed like the best way to go."

"That was a wise decision." Kane looked around the room "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Raven looked up from her keyboard and raised an eyebrow "Do you know anything about coding or hacking?"

Marcus laughed "I may seem like an old man to you, but I was learning code long before you were even a glimmer in your parent's eyes." He sat down at the computer that Raven indicated "The computer systems are similar to those on the Ark, which makes sense, since this compound was likely built around the same time. What do you need me to do?"

"Monty is going through basic life system checks for the whole complex, I'm checking the weapons mainframe to see what we are dealing with. I need you to start looking through Mount Weather's files, find any information that we might need. If you find any password protected files, focus on those, they probably contain the good stuff."

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Harper was impressed. Jessica managed to get everything cooked on time, and people seemed to be enjoying it. She walked over, plate in hand, and found Jessica already started on the dishes. "You did good work here. Fox couldn't have done it better." She watched as a blush rose on Jessica's cheeks.

"Thank you, all the volunteers did an excellent job, I couldn't have done it without them."

"Don't worry about the dishes right now, come and eat. You can sit with me and Miller." Harper smiled.

"Oh! Thank you, but I already ate. Everyone insisted that I eat first. I'm just getting a few of these done so I can start making some bread for tomorrow's breakfast."

"Okay, but if you keep this up, I'm going to get fat." Harper joked. The two of them laughed, and she walked off to find Miller. He was sitting by himself, which was odd since he was a fairly popular guy. She plopped down across from him. "Where is everybody?"

"I shooed everyone away, I was waiting for you. Clarke radioed."

Harper's face fell. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes and no. They took down the Reapers, but they are staying at Mount Weather for the night. We have to push back Finn's trial until after the midday meal instead of breakfast."

"What about the weapons? Have they figured all that out yet?"

"Monty, Raven, and Kane are all working on it. They managed to hack into the launch codes, so now they're checking the systems and making sure everything is in working order. Clarke said we'll all sit down and make a plan tomorrow."

"With the Reapers gone, we can expand our hunting parties to include the Mount Weather territory. Between that and the help we've been getting from the Grounders, we should be able to meet winter weather head on." Harper lifted her cup to clink against Miller's. "Things are finally starting to look up! I say we spread the good news and celebrate!"

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Everyone had a job to do. After a dinner cooked by Skaikru, people were placed into groups and sent out to take inventory of Mount Weather. Lexa, Gustus, Indra, Bellamy, Clarke, Lincoln, and Octavia all remained in the main hall. Lincoln and Octavia were tasked with looking over the blue prints for the housing levels, and determining who would sleep where. Indra and Gustus were guarding the door and taking reports from the different groups and reassigning them new areas to inventory as they completed their tasks. The remaining three were sitting in the corner, discussing the future of Eos.

"I will send out messengers at first light to some of the surrounding villages. They will send their apprentice builders to Eos, and we will have your village completed by time winter comes."

"Lexa, that is really generous of you, but Ice Nation should be our priority right now."

"Clarke, I am confident that we will be able to remove the Queen from her throne without issue. The weather is quickly turning colder, and the wise woman from my village has predicted that it will be a harsh winter. Your people will not survive without protection from the cold."

Bellamy placed a hand over Clarke's. "The Commander is right, you know she is. We don't have enough people to run the village, fight Azgeda, keep an eye on the Arkers, and build houses. We need the help." He turned to Lexa "What can we give you in return for your help?"

Lexa pondered this for a moment. "Each of the clans have a special celebration that they host each year. All clans are invited, and these celebrations are considered sacred. Warring clans put their differences aside and come together for the occasion. Each celebration is usually three to five days long. Clans are not required to attend, but almost all have at least one or two representatives that do. Each celebration is connected to that clan's history in some way. For instance, Trikru celebrates Yule, a time of year where we prepare for the cold winter months. We focus on giving thanks for the forest that protects us, and feed us throughout the year. We celebrate the longest night of the year, and the next day celebrating the returning of the sun. We offer food, games, and contests to all who attend. Each celebration is also an opportunity for the clans to trade. Booths are set up around the villages with wares from the clans, and people trade for things they want and need." She leaned forward "I want Eos to host a celebration, and for you to invite all the clans. This will help solidify our alliance."

Clarke considered it for a moment. "I think that is something we can do. We'll need more information on the different celebrations, so we can make sure ours doesn't overlap with something already being done. We will also need to find a time to fit our celebration in. If you have twelve clans, and there are twelve months in a year, that means one celebration each month, not including your yearly meeting at Polis."

Before Lexa could respond, Octavia and Lincoln walked over. Octavia nodded at the Commander before turning to Clarke. "Excuse me Heda, but we have the room assignments completed. Every housing unit has a fully functioning bathroom, so if we start sending teams to their rooms as they return, we can stagger it so everyone can have a hot shower tonight. I radioed with Raven and Monty who assure me that all life support systems are fully functional. If we send a member of Skaikru with each team, we can show them how to use the different aspects of their spaces for the evening. If you approve, I can radio the teams with Skaikru and have them come back first, so they can start leading people to their rooms for the evening."

Lexa tilted her head "What's a shower?"


	22. Chapter 22

***Thank you all for continuing to read my story! I have no end in sight, so this may go on for a while. If you ever get tired of reading, I understand. I just needed to get this story out of my head, and into the world. Sorry it's been so long, but I was having a lot of trouble with this chapter, I've rewritten it over and over, and I'm still not even 100% sure I got it all the way I wanted it. Reviews are deeply appreciated and feed my need for constructive criticism. *^.^*

_Side note: The book mentioned in this chapter is a real book, I have permission from the author to use, and quote it in my story. His books can be found on Amazon, and you can follow him on facebook. His book titles are The Door, The Life Within, and Familiar Manor. _

~Chapter 22~

Sgt. William Scott paced the floor, Taylor was almost thirty minutes late for their rendezvous. It was just before seven, and he was supposed to meet with him after his shift at the gate was over. He was preparing to head out to search for him when Taylor came barreling into the room.

"I'm so sorry! I got here as fast as I could." Taylor leaned over his knees and took a few deep breaths.

"What has gotten you all worked up? And what the hell happened? I was beginning to think our cover was blown!"

Taylor lifted his head and gave William the biggest smile. "Jaha stopped me on my way here. He wants to join us."

Sgt. Scott stood there with his mouth hanging open. Flabbergasted, he sputtered. "J-Jaha?"

Taylor laughed. "Yes! According to Jaha, after his arrival, he had an argument with Abby. He agrees with Clarke, this is a second chance for us, and we can't continue to run things like we did on the Ark. He's fascinated by the Grounders, and the life that Skaikru is building for themselves. He overheard some of the other Arkers talking about what happened with that Finn boy, and how Clarke freed our people. He heard talk of a second breakout and wants in. He even had a few more people that wanted to join as well."

"The question is, can we trust him?" William knew having Jaha on their side was a big deal, but he didn't want their escape plan to get leaked to Abby. The goal was to leave camp without having to fight their way out.

"Yes, he was brought to me by Sasha, she was there when he and Abby had it out. According to Sasha, Jaha had tried to convince Abby to join Skaikru. Abby did not agree, and even threatened to lock him up. Jaha backed down, but then approached Sasha, who then brought him to me. I didn't give him details of our plan, but told him to make sure that he and his followers were ready for the signal. I told him it could be days, but he needed to be packed and ready to go at a moment's notice."

"But we're leaving tonight. What if he waits until morning to pack?"

"Then I guess he either gets left behind, or he leaves with the clothes on his back." Taylor shrugged "I told him to go tell the others immediately, so hopefully they will all get right on it."

William ran everything through his head. "Well, we weren't planning on leaving for another couple of hours, so we might be okay."

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"I can't believe it!"

Clarke looked up from the sketch book she was drawing in. They had all settled in for the night, and were relaxing before bed. She was sharing a housing unit with Bellamy, Lexa, and Indra. Gustus had refused to sleep, insisting on standing guard outside of the door. Lexa had marveled at the shower, and took a good forty five minutes in the bathroom. When she was done, she discovered the tablet in her room and was currently holed up in her bed, watching a movie that Clarke had put on for her. Clarke had found a blank notebook and a set of colored pencils. She immediately sat down to draw. Bellamy had taken one look at the bookshelf, and had spent the last twenty minutes or so perusing the shelves. Obviously he had found something. She put down her pencil and gave him her full attention.

"What did you find?"

"A collection of books by Octavia's favorite author! We had read two of his books, but we didn't know if there were any others. They were the only two on the Ark. She is going to lose her space dust when she sees this!" Bellamy walked over and sat next to Clarke on the couch. She held out her hand to him, and he placed the book in it. He watched as she glanced over the front cover.

"_Familiar Manor_, by M Roland." She glanced up "What does the 'M' stand for?"

"I don't know. He never says anything about it in his bios. Octavia loved the stories because there was always an adventure of some sort. I always thought they were a bit disturbing myself, but she really liked them."

Clarke flipped the book over and quickly read the synopsis out loud. When she was finished she handed the book back to Bellamy. "A haunted story book? It sounds pretty creepy."

Bellamy grinned. "Like I said, disturbing. I'm not telling O until I've had a chance to read it myself. If I let her see this, I might not ever get it back. Do you think anyone would mind if we brought some of these books back to camp? I know O would love to re-read his other books."

"I don't think anyone would mind." She shook her head "Most of the Grounders have seemed pretty disinterested in all the things we've found so far. I'm hoping to keep all the books and historical artifacts here in Mount Weather. I've been thinking of turning one of the housing floors into a museum of sorts. We could give each clan a room to fill with important artifacts from their villages, and it would be open to anyone who wished to visit. We could have a room for the Ark, Skaikru, and Mount Weather as well. We could even make a library, where people could check out books."

"I think that sounds like a great idea, Princess. I even think the other clans will be excited to participate. Their history seems to be important to them, and this would be a great way to preserve their stories."

Clarke smiled. "I agree."

Bellamy held up the book with a raised eyebrow "Would you like me to read it to you while you sketch?"

Clarke leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "That sounds lovely."

Bellamy cleared his throat, and flipped open the book to the first page. "Prologue, the old man and his message. The winds were gusting through the mountain range a little higher than usual as Alfonso sped along toward his destination, causing the vehicle to sway back and forth between its breaths…"

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"Okay, everything is in place. Abby and her followers are all asleep. We already made the rounds to double check. You just need to give the signal that it's time to leave."

William looked over at Taylor. The plan was simple and solid. It was Tim's birthday, and they were able to convince Abby that a celebration was in order, since it was the first birthday they were celebrating on the ground. They had arranged it so that only guards planning to leave with them were going to be on duty tonight, that way they could just walk right out the front gate. Sasha served the drinks at the party, as she had an in with someone in medical that could get her some eszopicione. She added just enough to their drinks to help ensure they slept throughout the night. Now, it was time to lead their people out of camp, and head toward the hidden cave. They would continue their journey to Eos in the morning.

William took a steadying breath. "Send out the signal. It's time to go home."

William waited until Taylor had left the room. He double checked all the cabinets, but it looked like he'd packed everything he wanted, so he grabbed his pack and headed out. He greeted and passed many other followers as they all made their way outside. Once they were at the gate, he noticed something. People were greeting each other like long lost friends. Everyone was laughing and smiling, hugging, and shaking hands. People were excited for this new adventure. It lifted his spirits, and with a renewed sense of certainty that they were making the right decision, he addressed the crowd.

"As many of you know, we will be stopping in a couple of hours to rest for the night. It's not a terribly long trip, but it can be tedious. We will sleep until morning, but then it will be a short trip to Eos. Heda and Skaikru will be there to meet us. For those of you still uncertain if you want to join Skaikru, I would like to assure you that Heda is genuine when she says you can stay in Eos for as long as you need to while you figure out what you want to do. She has never, nor will she ever, force anyone to join. The gates there are not a prison, you may come and go as you please. There are Grounders at Eos, they are helping us to build the village, and we are teaching them our ways in return. They speak English and Trigedasleng. They will teach you if you are interested in learning. Everyone contributes to society, food and shelter are automatically given to anyone staying in Eos, regardless of Clan affiliation. Everything else runs on a system of trade, there is no monetary or credit system. Eos is a wonderful place, and we are building it to be a sanctuary for our people." He paused and looked over to the gate "Taylor, open the gates!"

As the gates opened, a cheer rose within the crowd. William turned took the first steps toward home. For the first time in a long time, he had hope. Hope that the people from space would finally have a chance to thrive. Within a few minutes of walking, Jaha stepped up next to him.

"It's nice to see our people so happy. Thank you, William, for allowing me to join you."

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, why did you want to come along?"

"I think it's time to dispense of the 'sir' business, don't you?" Jaha laughed.

William joined in the mirth. "Force of habit I guess. Do you prefer to be called Jaha, or Thelonious?"

"Thelonious would be nice. Not too many people call me that anymore. It's a mouthful, I know, but it's nice to hear."

William nodded. "Thelonious it is then."

"In regards to why I wanted to come along, that is simple. All I want is a new beginning. We had to do what we had to do on the Ark, it wasn't always pretty, many horrible decisions had to be made, but it doesn't have to be that way down here. There is plenty of land, and we know we can survive. Clarke has managed to make peace with the Commander, and her people. Why cling to the old ways? What good does it serve?" Thelonious shook his head "I tried reasoning with Abby, I thought that if we made a deal with Clarke and the Grounders, we could join Skaikru, and even keep our land if we wanted. People could travel back and forth between the camps, and we could have a real good life. Abby didn't agree. She has this notion that we need to stay under a system eerily similar to the one on the Ark. In all honesty, I think this all has been much harder on her than even she knows. Irrationally clinging to her past is a sign of distress, but she refuses to let anyone help her. I just have to keep faith that she will find her way."

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Octavia hadn't been kidding when she said the Grounders liked any excuse to celebrate. Harper was sitting on a log between Prince Roan and a Grounder whose name she couldn't remember. There was a group closest to the fire, teaching Skaikru how to dance. A makeshift band was playing a lively song, one that according to Prince Roan, brought prosperity to the people. The steps looked complicated, but it was fascinating to watch. The dancers weaved around each other while circling the fire. They would touch hands as they passed, and dipped their heads as they twirled. Those on the sidelines were clapping their hands and stomping their feet to the rhythm. Prince Roan nudged her with his elbow.

"So, what do you think?" His voice laced with genuine curiosity.

"It's very interesting to watch, much different than our parties on the Ark."

"What was it like growing up in space?" He asked.

"Much darker, even with the sun, we didn't have daylight like here on Earth. We had electric lights, but it wasn't the same. Everything here is brighter, more full of life. On the Ark, we had limited space, and so many rules. It was a much rougher existence. Like living in a cage. The air was stale, and the food had no real taste. I much prefer living here on the ground."

"That sounds lonely. Did you have celebrations up in space?"

"Yes, we celebrated birthdays, marriages, special holidays, and Unity day. Most communal celebrations were held on one of the larger decks. They would blast music from speakers, and people would dance, but since we had less space, the dancing was much different. Although, we all had dance lessons, so we would know the dances of our ancestors."

"What kinds of dances did you learn from your ancestors?"

Harper laughed "Oh, too many to name, we learned everything from hip hop, to ballroom dancing."

"I know what ballroom dancing is! I've heard stories about it. People would partner up and dance in circles, correct?"

"Most times yes, they would dance in large circles, so people wouldn't bump into each other."

Prince Roan looked out at his people dancing and teaching Skaikru. "Maybe you could teach us how to dance like your ancestors, share your history with us as we share ours with you?"

Harper smiled "I'm sure Skaikru would enjoy that very much. I can ask around and see who remembers the dances and they can show anyone who wants to learn."

"Don't you remember them?" Roan asked.

"Of course! It was one of the classes that I was good at. I started studying historical arts at a young age."

Roan stood up and yanked her with him "Great! You can start right now, teach us how to dance like Skaikru!"

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Clarke awoke with a start, opening her eyes, focusing on Indra's face which was much too close to hers for comfort. "Indra?" She questioned sleepily.

"I'm sorry to wake you so early, but we must hurry. Our scouts have returned with news, Azgeda will be here by nightfall."

Clarke sat up straight, bumping Bellamy awake as she did so. They must have fallen asleep on the couch, the book Bellamy was reading to her fell off his lap and onto to the floor. "How did they get here so quickly? I thought we had at least another day or so!"

"I assume they walked halfway through the night for the last few nights. It is what I would have done." Lexa said as she rose from the table in the small kitchen. "Indra will be headed to the nearby villages to gather as many warriors as she can and to spread the word that our people should prepare. I hope you don't mind, but I sent someone to wake everyone, including Skaikru, so we can prepare ourselves for the battle ahead." She stopped directly in front of them "I would suggest you radio your people as well."

Bellamy, now wide awake, inquired "How much time do we have?"

"It is not yet morning, the stars are still out, so we will have the rest of the morning, and all of today to prepare." Lexa responded gravely.

Bellamy stood and held a hand for Clarke. Helping her up, he turned to Lexa. "First things first, we need to contact Eos and update them on the situation. Then we should meet with everyone to plan the attack."

Lexa nodded "I'll send word, and we will meet in the main hall immediately."

"Thank you, Lexa. Before we head out, I need to freshen up a bit. I'll be out in just a minute."

Bellamy watched as Clarke quickly left the room. He picked the book up off the floor, smiling as he remembered how late they stayed up reading together. It was a mundane activity, but it made him happier than he could have ever imagined. He placed the book on the side table and glanced up. The Commander had a strange look on her face. He raised his eyebrow and tilted his head in silent query.

"I see why you love her. She is fiercely independent, and devoted to her people. She is much stronger than she appears. If things would have been different, and you weren't 'won keryon, tu bodies', I might have taken her myself." She held up a hand to forestall his response "I would never consider it now, she is rightfully yours, just as you are hers. All I meant to say, is that I understand." She paused, unsure how to explain properly without causing offense "I also wanted to assure you that if anything were to happen to you, which I hope nothing ever does, I will protect her with my life in your absence. I know what it's like to worry about someone you love that deeply. I had that with my Costia, I just didn't see the trap until it was set. I will live with that regret for the rest of my life."

Bellamy could see the regret and love lost in her eyes. Lexa was not one to show emotion, so for her to show it to him now was a great sign of respect. He took it as such and reciprocated "Thank you, I can't begin to imagine how hard that must have been for you. I'm positive that Costia knew how much she was loved. I would be honored if you would care for Clarke if I am unable to. I wouldn't trust her to anyone else." He held out his hand, and Lexa grasped his arm in return. An understanding was reached just as Clarke emerged from the other room.

"Let's go."

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Murphy angrily stomped up the dropship ramp after Harper. "What do you mean I have to stay here? I pledged my loyalty, I know how to fight, doesn't Clarke trust me?"

Harper was exasperated, she was woken up extra early after a late night of partying with the Grounders. She didn't have time for Murphy's dramatic tendencies. "Don't you get it? She's having you stay behind _because_ she trusts you! I don't like this situation any more than you do. Miller will be leading a team of our people to assist, while I stay behind to try to keep this village together. Grounders from the surrounding villages are making their way here as we speak. We are to keep as many of them safe as possible, while beefing up our security. I need your help to fortify the walls, you know how Azgeda works, what they might do to sneak in and attack. You are in charge of our building up our defenses, effective immediately." Harper snapped.

John's mouth hung open. Never in his wildest dreams did he think Clarke would put him in charge of something so important. She took a big risk in allowing him to join Skaikru, and he refused to give her a reason to second guess her decision. He took a deep breath, stood up straight, and nodded. "I'll get started right away."

Harper took a deep breath after Murphy left the drop ship. She wasn't ready for this, she wasn't ready to lead these people. She took a moment to pray to any God, Goddess, or other deity that might be listening to keep her family safe. She couldn't do this without them. When she was finished, she started grabbing supplies. She would pack enough to get Miller through until he reached Mount Weather. Luckily, there was a whole host of medical supplies there. He could stock up before returning home. She made a mental note to send out hunters and gatherers first thing, so they would have enough supplies for the additional Grounders, plus the newer members of Skaikru that were making their way to Eos.

Harper grabbed the pack and headed out towards the tents on the far side of camp. She saw Prince Roan talking with another Grounder. She waited until he was finished before she approached him. "I don't mean to interrupt, but can we talk for a minute?"

"Of course, follow me."

Roan led her to his tent, he held the flap for her, and Harper walked in and took a quick look around. It was sparse, but nice. A bed, small table with furs to sit on, and food laid out on the table. She sat as he gestured to the table.

"What can I do for you, Harper?"

"As you know, Azgeda marches on Mount Weather today. What you haven't heard yet, is that the Commander has sent messengers to the surrounding villages, telling warriors to gather at Mount Weather, and for everyone else to make their way here. We have been tasked with keeping people safe while they take on the Queen. This puts you in an odd position. You could chose to head to Mount Weather, help defeat Queen Nia, and claim your place as King. Or, you could chose to stay here, help me defend our people, and once word is reached that this is over, you can claim your place as King. There is always a chance that we will lose, and she will bring her army here. The Commander has asked that you make a decision, and tell me so I can radio it back to her."

Roan only needed a moment to respond. "I will stay here. If, the Commander should fall, I will be the last chance to stop my mother. I have full faith in my Heda, but there is always a chance that the Queen has something up her sleeve, and I won't leave our people here unprotected. While the Clans have accepted your people, it is still a new and tenuous alliance. My people will listen to me, I will make sure that Skaikru is protected in Lexa's absence."

Harper breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Prince Roan. I admit, that this whole situation has me worried. It seems that every time something good happens, the Earth has to remind me of what a harsh place it can be."

"I have lived on the Earth my whole life, and I feel like that quite often. It makes you appreciate the good though. Hopefully, we will have more 'good' and less 'bad' once this is over."

Harper smiled "That would be nice."

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"Add a few more stakes, we don't want whoever falls in that trap to be able to get back up again." John walked over to the next area "You there, make sure they are digging those holes big enough!" He continued to inspect work as he headed around the village "Shane, go double check the traps on the south side of Eos, make sure they are covered properly, I was able to see three of them over on the west side from a dozen yards away." He stopped and took a quick drink of water. He had dozens of people, both Skaikru, and Grounders out here, digging holes and setting traps. The Grounders had been an invaluable help. With a few suggestions from him, they were able to improve a few of the plans. There was still so much to do in order for them to be ready, if they were ready at all.

"Murphy! Harper needs you at the gate."

John sighed and stepped around the workers. He stopped a few times on his way back, correcting those as needed, and giving directions to those who looked lost. As he approached the gate, he saw Harper standing there talking to Fox and Prince Roan. Groups of Grounders were making their way into camp, as Skaikru were directing them to their temporary homes. Harper saw him and waved him over.

"Murphy, give me a status update."

"I have men double checking the South wall, but that is been completed. We are finishing up on the West wall, and we have about two or three more hours of work on the North and East walls. We should be completed by the evening meal."

"Prince Roan, can we spare anyone else to help? I'd like us to get everyone inside the walls before the sun sets. According to Clarke, Azgeda is set to arrive at Mount Weather just after sunset. The Commander's scouts have not seen anyone leave her ranks, but I don't want to take any chances."

"We might have a few with the last group that was brought in. My men have been pulling people fit to guard the walls, and setting them up on a rotation. I will ask if they saw anyone able-bodied that can help."

Murphy watched as Roan walked off in search of more men. He turned back to Harper. "If it's possible, can you send someone out with water for the workers? It will help save on time if they don't have to leave their work every time they're thirsty."

"I have plenty of help in the kitchen, I'll go send a team out with water and protein packs as well." Fox turned and jogged towards the kitchens.

Harper glanced around nervously "Murphy, give me your honest opinion, are we ready for this?"

John shrugged "All things considered, we're doing pretty good. Once we shore up these last two walls, we'll be in good shape. I overheard some of the Grounders talking, and they seemed pretty satisfied with what we have. They would know better than anyone."

"Kias told me that Ice Nation relies on their reputation as a well regimented army, but they have rarely put thoughts into action. This is the first time in many years that Azgeda has gone into battle. They train regularly, but so do all of the clans. Their numbers are what usually deter anyone from making them angry. Most of the Grounders are disgusted by the Queen's desire to kill the Commander. I just hope this will resolve quickly, and in our favor. I really don't want to front a second attack here at Eos."

John nodded his agreement "I feel the same way. I've had enough fighting to last a lifetime." He looked off into the woods "Ever think it was easier on the Ark?"

"Easier? Yes. Better? No way. Give me the ground any day."


End file.
